By Chisomo Phiri

Some Malawians on social media have blamed former President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika for not attending a ‘ Former Heads of State’ meeting which President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera held at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre on Thursday.

President Lazarus Chakwera announced last week that he will engage former Heads of State ( Dr. Joyce Banda, Dr. Bakili Muluzi and Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika) to deliberate measures to mitigate effects of Tropical Cyclone Freddy.

Surprisingly, only two former Heads of State, Dr. Joyce Banda and Dr. Bakili Muluzi honoured the President’s invitation to the meeting.

Meanwhile, Peter Mutharika’s absence at the meeting has raised several comments saying he could not do this as it is not something to do with politics but saving lives of Malawians.

Peter Makina says : “If it was a political debate, his absence couldn’t surprise anybody, he is not good at that and he knows it. But this is something to do with the national tragedy before us, why withhold his participation? I know he doesn’t attend funerals but the interface isn’t about that ceremony either, they will just bang heads on how to respond to the devastating effects of Cyclone Freddy as Senior leaders.

“The behaviour Peter Mutharika has projected is tantamount to declining to serve Malawians in times of real and great need. This is the time for all our leaders to display unconditional unity, pooling response efforts towards Cyclone Freddy victims.”

The other social media user Paul Ngulube writes:”If the rationale behind Peter Mutharika’s absence at the meeting in the neutrality of the venue, then we are destined for doom as a country. For me, this is no time for politics. The devastation by Cyclone has no respect for party colors whatsoever!! This is the time we need to stand and rebuild together.

“I can only assume that Peter Mutharika has his ‘valid reasons’ for not attending other than the neutral venue gimmick. We are responding to a crisis for God’s sake and Humanitarian Action principles provide for bending of some protocols.

“If indeed Peter is committed to taking Malawi forward in the spirit of Unity, Peace and Progress, then this was a great opportunity to share his insights on how we can help each other in these Freddy induced desperate times. Unfortunately, it remains a lost opportunity.”

” So, this former President called APM decided to boycott a very important meeting with servant leader President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and other former heads of state.

“This was ridiculous and ridiculous.
Malawi is in a crisis now following the devastating tropical storm Freddy so for Professor Peter Mutharika to bring in politics on the issue is very cheap propaganda.

“This shows that APM lacks humanity, umunthu.
But anyway, even if he attended the meeting, he could have contributed nothing, he could not have added any value to the meeting.
Just last week, when he went to see victims of the cyclone in Ndirande, he turned the whole meeting into a political affair, embarrassing his corrupt and violent DPP,” says veteran journalist Dickson Kashoti.