Malawi: Malawi's Mutharika threatens media over food shortage "lies"

BLANTYRE, Malawi — Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika threatened on Thursday to shut down newspapers he accused of lying that up to one million Malawians will need food aid.

"I will close down newspapers that lie and tarnish my government's image," a visibly angry Mutharika said as he opened a week-long agriculture fair in the commercial capital Blantyre.

 

"I am disappointed that despite the ministry of agriculture and food security releasing crop estimates that Malawi has actually posted surpluses in the production of the staple crop maize, some newspapers are reporting that over a million Malawians will require urgent food aid."

 

Agriculture experts say Malawi harvested 2.4 million tonnes, leaving a surplus of more than 400,000 tonnes for export.

 

But last week, the independent weekly Malawi News quoted a food security forecast by the Southern African Development Community that said more than a million Malawians face starvation because of poor rains in several districts.

 

This was Mutharika's first public attack on privately owned newspapers.

 

"If I close you down, you'll rush to donors to say Bingu is suppressing the press," he said. "I will close down any newspaper that publishes lies.

 

"You can go to the donors and I'll ask them whether in their countries they tolerate lies."

 

Mutharika, in power since 2004, gained popularity for his government's 183-million-dollar fertiliser subsidy programme that has prevented food shortages over the past seven years.

 

Malawi needs two million tonnes of maize to feed its 13 million people every year, and has in the past been hit by chronic hunger. But Mutharika has vowed he will not beg for food aid.

 

"For me my knees are like those of an elephant," he said. "They don't bend, so I can't kneel before anybody."

 

-August 26, 2010 by APF

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Source: www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hNqz8LxdCjnq8oHPidFbuQUqXMNg   (accessed on 27.08.10)