Africa-Press – Malawi. Local Government, Unity and Culture Minister Richard Chimwendo Banda, who is also Malawi Congress Party director of youth, is demanding K700 million from Levi Luwemba for allegedly making a defamatory statement.
Chimwendo Banda alleges that Luwemba made the statement through a video clip. Chimwendo Banda’s lawyers, who are from Wilkinson Attorneys and Consultants, have alleged in a letter that Luwemba published words that are false and defamatory to their client.
“On 24 February, you gave an interview which was recorded on video [and] therein you made the following defamatory statements: ‘Kunabwera zigawenga za Malawi Congress ndiye tikufuna tinene…Richard Chimwendo I’m telling you, my brother, don’t bring one party state in [sic] this country…we are ready to die, Richard Chimwendo kill us all’,” the letter reads.
They argue that the words meant that Chimwendo Banda is associated with thugs, sent thugs and injured persons who wanted to participate in a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) parade and damaged vehicles.
“The statement meant that our client does not believe in multiparty democracy and is working to bring one party state to Malawi and that our client is a murderer who kills people to further political interests,” the statement adds. The firm asks Luwemba to issue an unconditional apology and retraction within 24 hours.
“The same must be on a recorded video and published with all media houses in Malawi and on your social media platforms. Our client further demands compensation in the sum of K700 million. Should you fail to issue the retraction and apology as demanded and fail to pay the compensation, we have firm instructions to proceed to court without further recourse to you whatsoever,” the letter says.
Over the weekend, Luwemba told Times 360 Malawi that he was in receipt of the letter and that he had handed it [the letter] over to his lawyers to scrutinise it. He said he could only comment on the matter once such processes were followed.
On Saturday, DPP supporters were attacked by unknown people at Mbowe in Lilongwe as they were planning to start their ‘Blue Convoy Parade’, which seeks to market the party ahead of the 2025 elections.
During the fracas, some party supporters sustained injuries and vehicles were damaged. Malawi Police Service spokesperson Peter Kalaya said they have, so far, made no arrest in relation to the incident. He, however, condemned political and other forms of violence.
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