Government responds to Nyasas allegations

Press Statement

Reply to the Article of Nyasatimes titled “The truth concerning President Mutharika’s illness”

It is disturbing for us to notice that Nyasatimes editors are still insisting on their fabricated story that the President His Excellency Ngwazi Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika was in comma. We told them that the story was not true, and many events that followed actually proved that the story had no basis whatsoever.

We thought that their retraction and apology for this untrue story was genuine and in good faith. But it is now clear that the apology and retraction were as deceitful and dishonest as their article itself.

In the first article the so called “impeccable sources at the State House” talked about a semi- comatose President being given emergency treatment by South African Doctors ahead of referral to a foreign Clinic.

The fact is that the President continued very heavy and physically challenging engagements both in public and in private during the time he was allegedly in comma. These activities included visits to his farm in Thyolo, extensive Public whistle stop tour of the City of Blantyre prior to the magnificent Launch of the DPP Campaign on Wednesday 25th March 2009, vigorous big walk on Sunday 29th March 2009 to raise funds for FEDOMA, and many other activities.

Medically there is no way a person can go from a comatose state to vigorous physical engagements in a day or two. The “patient” in their story was supposed to be referred to a foreign clinic after emergency treatment but none of this happened. The President has continued with his very physically demanding schedules like numerous whistle stop tours in the Eastern and Central Regions.

This is not the clinical picture of a sick man, let alone that of someone who is suffering from a life threatening Cancer. One does not have to be a genius to know the absurdity and incoherence of this report. We do not understand why Nyasatimes are insisting on it

Nyasatimes have challenged us that they will be forced to submit the correspondence from their State House sources where the allegations concerning the President’s health were made. We accept that challenge and dare them to do so immediately. We want to see the valid documents and their sources. We must warn them against more fabrications, which now appears to be all Nyasatimes are capable of doing.

We shall not be intimidated by their threats that we should “let sleeping dogs lie or else they will open the can of worms on the Presidents health”. Let them state which journalists are being paid by the DPP to attack Nyasatimes? It is sad that these Nyasatimes characters think that everyone is a checkbook journalist just like they are. DPP would not stoop so low as to pay any professionals to attack the worthless Nyasatimes.

This is all cheap and dirty campaign tactics against the President whose health physically and otherwise is robust and clearly an open book for everyone to see. This is the way they want to campaign for their failed Political Masters, but they will not succeed.

Nyasatimes have challenged us that they are ready to stand trial in Court on this matter. Let us assure them that at an appropriate time, we shall indeed take them to Court where they will meet the consequences of their dishonest and shameful mercenary journalism.

We are compiling a full range of their fabrications, apologies and retractions of their unprofessional obsessions and attacks against the President. We know their contacts and physical addresses in Malawi and the United Kingdom. They should not think that they will always be sheltered by the geographical distances and their mode of publishing for their untrue stories.

Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba
CHIEF POLITICAL ADVISOR TO THE PRESIDENT AND
PUBLICITY SECRETARY FOR DPP