THE president of Malawi has claimed that a series of articles in The Sunday Times highlighting serious human rights abuses in his country cost him a place at this week’s G8 summit in Gleneagles.
Bingu wa Mutharika blamed the coverage for his deteriorating relationship with Tony Blair and claimed that it threatened an aid package worth up to £3m from Jack McConnell, the first minister. Mabvuto Banda, a leading Malawian journalist who wrote the articles, was summoned to the president’s official residence last Sunday.
Banda said the articles were spread out on a table before the president, who accused him of being “unpatriotic” and ordered him to retract some of the allegations.
During a three-hour meeting, Banda claimed Mutharika lectured him on his efforts to restore democracy and drive out corruption. He went on to say that negative coverage of his administration was unfair and “unconstructive”.
Banda claimed the president told him that Blair had asked Mutharika to attend the G8 when the pair met for the launch of the Commission for Africa report in March, but because of the negative coverage the formal invitation never arrived. Invitations were extended to the leaders of Ethiopia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Algeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Senegal and South Africa, who all attended.
“Mutharika was controlled but it was clear he was angry,” said Banda. “The president thinks he was removed from attending the G8 because of what has been written.
“He said he was going to Scotland later in the year and expressed fear that the media speculation could mean Malawi loses the £3m pledge that McConnell made when he visited the country.
“He singled out one particular article I did for The Sunday Times and said it was very unconstructive. As a result he said the relationship (with Scotland) was not all that good. He wanted an apology there and then, but I said I could not do that.”
McConnell made a high-profile visit to Malawi earlier this year, where he met Mutharika and was made a ceremonial chief of the city of Blantyre. The president is expected to visit Scotland in November.
The first minister’s trip was overshadowed by an Amnesty International report, revealed in The Sunday Times, which said police routinely fire live rounds on political protesters and raised concerns about the torture and deaths of suspects in police custody.
Mutharika is facing 11 impeachment charges, including allegations that he used public funds to pay for his grandchildren’s education and lavished £850,000 on three limousines when 1m Malawians face starvation.
It is also alleged that he illegally maintained two state residences when the national assembly was homeless and “failed to provide executive leadership in the interests of national unity” by “interfering” with other political parties.
Other charges relate to his sacking of senior members of government, including the commander of the army and inspector-general of police. Another accuses him of violating the constitution.
It later emerged that state corruption led to Malawi’s exclusion from a list of 18 Third World nations with debts that will be written off in a deal brokered by Gordon Brown, the chancellor, and that Gwanda Chakuamba, the country’s agriculture minister, allegedly used funds from a World Bank emergency account to buy a £40,000 BMW.
In a recent article for The Sunday Times, Banda accused McConnell of endorsing an oppressive regime through his visit. The revelations will cause embarrassment to McConnell, who has praised Mutharika’s efforts to stamp out corruption.
A senior government source in Malawi said: “There’s a lot of goodwill to Malawi and the president, but the speculation as to what is going on here has affected the situation. I understand the president indicated at the meeting that he expected to be at the G8.”
Last night a Downing Street spokesman confirmed that no formal invitation had been extended. Ken Lipenga, Malawi’s minister for information and tourism, said: “The president is very popular here; he is known for his fight against corruption. And Malawi does deserve the support Jack McConnell has offered. This country is a fine example of democracy.”
Last week the government announced that an order for three Mercedes Maybach limousines had been cancelled. “We will instead buy something for around £50,000,” said Goodall Gondwe, the finance minister.