Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development, George Chaponda, has alleged that there was an assassination plot on his life when a Capitol Hill building that houses his office caught fire last week.

This is in sharp contrast with what Spokesperson in the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Water Development Hamilton Chimala told the press last week.

Chimila told the press that fire emanated from a socket connecting a plasma screen to power.

“Experts will still have to do their investigations, but as far as we know- some workers detected a burning smell soon after a lightening had strike,” Chimala was quoted as saying.

Speaking in an interview with British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Chaponda claimed that the fire was an assassination plot targeted at him.
Chaponda said that there was a remote-controlled system aimed at destroying his life.

But the excuse given by Chaponda has attracted debate on the social media with others accusing him of taking Malawians for granted.

Ernest Mponda wrote: “thats a big lie Honourable…no one wishes you to die,we are even praying to God to give u a long life till we know the truth about maize gate…shame on you honourable.”

Concurring with Mponda’s remarks, Matt Maverick Chelsea Phirih wrote: “Kkkkkk…….so which is which….?
Is it the electrical socket…..or is it mphenzi….or is it the remote controlled bomb…?
And who wud want to kill chaponda….?”

“If it was a remote controlled bomb that started the fire….then why did whosoever detonated the bomb did it while chaponda was not in office…?
Or maybe it’s chaponda himself who detonated the bomb….”

Meanwhile debate continues over the fire that gutted the house of Chaponda at Capitol Hill.