The BCPYL wishes to convey its deepest sympathy and commiseration to all the people of Malawi. The BCPYL perceives wa Mutharika's death as the turning point in Malawi's political trajectory. Wa Mutharika should be remembered for his sterling service to the African continent and international civil service as well as good educational, agricultural and foreign policies. However, the BCPYL notes that wa Mutharika, handpicked by former President Bakili Muluzi, had turned from hero to villain - in the mold of a dictator, especially after 2010.
He contemplated a third term like his predecessor or preferably to be succeeded by his brother Peter wa Mutharika. He introduced tough measures on many fronts; civil liberties became insecure, freedom of expression and freedom to hold opinions were curtailed, unemployment and poverty rose and donors pulled out as a consequence of democratic deficit. A case in point illustrating that wa Mutharika prospered in dictatorship was in 2011 when protesters were shot dead by police in the northern cities of Karonga and Mzuzu. The BCPYL hopes that Malawians will, in the aftermath of Bingu wa Mutharika's death, democratise the country, reform the economy and restore donor and investor confidence. We wish the Malawian people well in these trying times.
