(Last Updated on November 18, 2020 by GERALD NCUBE)
PRETORIA – The Malawian Foreign Affairs Ministry has issued a statement expressing it’s concerns over the treatment received by President Lazarus Chakwera and his delegation in South Africa.
Chakwera was made to wait for more than seven hours at Waterkloof Military Airbase in Pretoria with the South African authorities citing “unspecified security reasons”.
The flight was scheduled to leave South Africa at 15.30 Hrs but did not leave until 22.30 Hrs.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to inform the general public that the home-bound departure of the plane carrying His Excellency Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi, and Her Excellency Madame Monica Chakwera, First Lady of the Republic of Malawi, was delayed by seven hours on Friday, 13th November, 2020. The plane was scheduled to leave South Africa at 15.30 Hrs but did not leave until 22.30 Hrs.
“Chief among the causes of the delays was the South African Government’s refusal to allow Malawi’s advance delegation to travel back home together with President Chakwera and his delegation, citing unspecified security reasons. The South African Government’s inexplicable refusal to let Malawi’s President leave with his advance team came despite being informed of the arrangement in advance, in conformit to a similar arrangement made in all countries President Chakwera has visited thus far,” read part of the statement.
The statement also says the South African authorities refused the proposal to allow the plane to leave at the Military Airbase with President Chakwera and his team and then pick the advance team from OR International Airport.
Media reports have been flooded by reports that the authorities suspected that prophet Bushiri wanted to flee the country using the same flight.
However the South African authorities have issued a statement dispelling the rumours.