Subject: Late news from Malawi.

Malawi: Musicians say no to Lucius Banda on
commission

Daily Times (Malawi),
2001

By Tamanda Matebule

Blantyre - Musicians are protesting the inclusion of
music star Lucius Banda in the President Bakili
Muluzi-appointed commission of inquiry to investigate
into death of the country's widely-believed reggae
king
Evison Matafale who died under police custody.

Music Association of Malawi (MAM) chairman Davie
Mafuleka yesterday was shocked at the composition of
the inquiry team saying some members are incompetent
and are likely to slant the probe.

He singled out Lucius Banda whom he alleged was a
rival of Matafale wondering how Banda was going to
compromise with the fallen hero he never agreed with
when he lived.

Mafuleka said discussions are underway among musicians
to see to it that the probe team has competent members
who will come up with an objective report.

"Whoever advised the president in appointing that
commission of inquiry ill-advised him; these were
rivals in their principles, and naturally there
are likely to be prejudices in the findings," Mafuleka
said.

"If anything," he said, "the president would have
included an authority like Goodson Gomonda who is the
chairman of (MAM) or any rastafarian a faith in which
Matafale belonged to."

A couple of weeks ago during a consultative meeting
between the Copyright Society of Malawi, Malawi
Revenue Authority (MRA) and the MAM in Blantyre,
Banda exchanged bitter words with Matafale after they
differed on whether or not musicians should be paying
revenues.

Matafale, who was arrested at Chileka in Blantyre and
detained in Lilongwe, was charged with criminal
defamation on suspicion of authoring a defamatory
letter.

Meanwhile, rastafarians in Blantyre are on Tuesday
taking to the streets to protest the inclusion of
Lucius Banda.

"We aren't happy with his [Lucius Banda] presence on
the commission of inquiry," said Ras Ray, the chair
for rastafarians yesterday.

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