Kaliati, bitter with embassy staff
By McMillan Chasunda
The Malawi foreign affairs Minister, Hon. George Chaponda and counterpart Hon Patricia Kaliati took time off from their busy schedule accompanying President Arthur Peter Mutharika in New York, to dress down the embassy staff of the Malawi mission to the UN and America for the functions that former president Dr. Joyce Banda was attending on the sidelines of the 69th UN General Assembly. Furthermore, the two were furious that the former president was stealing the show from the incumbent president as she was having much meetings to the disdain of the president
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an embassy staff told Banthu Times that the two Ministers accused the embassy staff that they were well aware of the functions of the former president yet they did not inform the government. The staff also had the wrath of the two as they were accused of even attending the functions of the former President
Currently fear has gripped the staff as they expect reprisal, said that the two ministers were very abusive to the staff including the current ambassador of Malawi to the US
However, Banthu Times investigation has revealed that the action of the Ministers is synonymous for finding a scapegoat for their own mistakes having first being lambasted by President Mutharika. In our investigation, the embassy staffs were going to the functions in their capacity as representative of Malawi having been invited by the organizers
“Take for instance the meeting of the first ladies. As the embassy we were told that the first lady will be attending. We were not aware that the organizers had invited former President Banda to be the guest speaker. As an embassy we were going their to represent Malawi knowing that our first lady will also be in attendance. We were even shocked at the function as we could not explain the absence only to have Hon. Kaliati on her behalf.” said a staff
As we are going to press news was rife that there will be recalls within the two missions in the US as the Ministers said that the acts will not go unpunished.