BY DRAXON MALOYA
Lilongwe, Malawi – Member of Parliament for Lilongwe South-East, Hon. Steve Baba Malondera, sparked controversy in the house after referring to fellow member Sameer Suleman as ‘M’mwenye’ during a heated debate in Parliament this week.
The term, which translates to ‘Asian’, ‘owner’ or ‘boss’, has been accused of being racially abusive due to Suleman’s Asian heritage.
However, in an interview with this publication Malondera has denied any wrongdoing, stating that he sees no issue with using the term to describe someone based on their skin colour.
The Parliamentarian cited Suleman’s own admission of having Asian blood during an interview with Times TV, claiming that this was not racial discrimination in the context of being Malawian.
“I am not a racist, neither do I find it racial abuse calling someone M’mwenye,” Malondera said. “Just as people call me Lomwe, yet I come from Lilongwe where I contested in parliamentary race and won, my wife comes from Rumphi district.”
The incident occurred during a debate on relief food distribution allocation of figures presented by Agriculture Minister Sam Kawale.
Leader of Opposition George Chaponda called for Malondera to withdraw his remarks, but 2nd Deputy Speaker of Parliament Aisha Adams responded that there was no evidence of the comment being made, as Malondera’s microphone was not switched on at the time.
However, the controversy has raised questions about the use of language and racial sensitivity in Malawian politics.
