Mulanje South Member of Parliament Bon Kalindo has criticized President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika for not taking People’s Land Organisation (PLO) leader Vincent Wandale seriously, branding him nuisance and cannabis smoker.
Kalindo, a well-known comedian said this on Thursday when he was testifying in Wandale’s case at Blantyre Magistrate’s Court in the commercial capital.
In his testimony, Kalindo told the court that he and Wandale met Mutharika on October 15 2015 where they raised issues regarding shortage of land in the two districts of Thyolo and Mulanje and were promised immediate solutions to the issue.
“I strongly fault the President and those surrounding him for not coming forth with the solution to this problem. What happened on September 1 this year at Conforzi Tea Estate could not have happened had the President acted on our request.
“The people of the two districts are suffering and this issue needs urgent attention,” he said.
Kalindo also accused Charles Mchacha of bribing him to denounce to abandon the issue.
“At the meeting where Wandale was stopped from attending, we were promised that members of the two organisations [would] be given K500 million to share among themselves and start businesses as they wait for government’s decision on the matter.
“On his understanding, the President thought that would bail out the people of the districts from poverty which he admitted is aggravated due to lack of land. He told us to be patient as he did not want to handle it the Mugabe way, but it was a political gimmick,” he added.
Kalindo further told the court he has known Wandale for a long time, describing him as a very patriotic, brilliant and ready to fight for his people.
Meanwhile the case resumes today at Blantyre Magistrate Court.
