Leader of a political movement – Citizens for Transformation (CFT) – Timothy Pagonachi Simbega Mtambo has denied social media reports being churned by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) media team that he insulted President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera at a public function.
Over the week, Mtambo was the Guest of Honour at the Miss and Mr. LUANAR event, which took place at Bunda Campus. Mtambo has appealed to all well meaning citizens to hold hands and rescue Malawi from the current stinging socio-economic challenges worsened by Cyclone Freddy, Covid 19 and the brutal war in Eastern Europe.
Despite Mtambo calling upon young people to desist being used by politicians as agents of violence, an ardent DPP social media activist disguising himself as Leah Mbughi falsely alleged the former Cabinet minister had spoken sarcastically about Chakwera.
Earlier in the day, Mbughi had alleged that the former Minister of National Unity had committed suicide over a cabinet reshuffle that saw President Chakwera leaving him out.
But in an interview on Tuesday, Mtambo denied ever insulting President Chakwera, saying he remains committed to the values he stood for while in the struggle against the previous regime, and the values he promoted through the Ministry of National Unity.
“I remain a strong supporter of national development efforts and shared values of unity, peaceful coexistence and patriotism. So, I urge all Malawians to regard anything contrary to this as misinformation and fake news,” he said.
On Monday evening, CFT National Publicity Secretary Chimwemwe Maunde released a statement in which she deplored misinformation, ‘heavy emptiness and cheap propaganda’ being circulated by DPP media team and affiliates on Mtambo.
Maunde said they had learnt with ‘with deepest shock and shallowest surprise of the continued attacks of discredit on any function the CFT Commander-in-Chief, Timothy Pagonachi Simbega Mtambo attends, with the latest standing the Saturday April 8, 2023 Mr. and Ms. Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) at Bunda Campus’.
She said they were surprised that despite preaching the message of unity for purpose and call to Malawians to support the incumbent government, Mbughi and his fellow DPP media activists spread fake news about the event.
“Mtambo preached message of unity, modern politics and need for creativity, innovation and technology to counterattack the unemployment monster. He described the youth as anchors of the future not destroyers of today. The CFT wish to be clear that a week ago the very same unpatriotic Malawians spread a fake news that the CFT leader had committed suicide over a cabinet reshuffle depression. One of such cowards and childish Malawians masquerades as Leah Mbughi on Facebook,” reads the statement in part.
Maunde observed that Mbughi is a continuous attacker of the CFT leader Mtambo, fearing some uncivilised politicians are abusing Leah Mbughi to advance their political interests.
“He is one of many ill-nurtured Malawians. You are too small that we should be wasting our energy on you, up next we are to bring to public your smartphone bundle buyers and inhumane political masters. This infiltrates indecency in the political arena and milk the thin democracy of Malawi. This tendency is democratically lethal not only for one political party but the nation as a whole. Feeding the public with wrong political facts is a grave offence and a serious crime. We therefore plead with the public to refrain from such ill developments. The youth deserve to be engaged beyond material and serious ideologies to solve the challenges rocking Malawi including high unemployment levels. As a nation we need to involve youth in policy implementations not intimidating other political leaders.”
“CFT regrets that directionless politicians are still abusing the nation’s greatest assert, the youth. The CFT leadership has all names of well-established and respected politicians behind these young, energetic and pathetic social media hooligans. The CFT firmly extends that as a People Power Movement will not bow down to any political childishness and cowardice of highest level but continue denunciation of politics of division on the journey for the achievement of a better living space,” he said.
