Peter Mutharika continues to vehemently disown Karan Thom as a family relation

* This man is an impostor and a dishonest person — he is only hired by enemies during election time to slander and defame the Mutharika name

* His claim that he was responsible for creating the DPP logo (chimanga folo) is as fictitious as is his claim to the membership of the Mutharika family

By Duncan Mlanjira

The Mutharika family, through former President Arthur Peter Mutharika (APM), has reiterated its vehement stand that Karan Thom is not a Mutharika but an “impostor and a dishonest person [who] is only hired by enemies during election time to slander and defame the Mutharika name”.

In a statement issued this afternoon, January 25, through his spokesperson, Shadric Namalomba — reacting to an interview Karan Thom had with on MBC TV on Sunday in which he was claiming that he is related to the Mutharika by strong blood — APM contends that the “Mutharika family became aware of Thom in 1999 when he was introduced at a rally in Njamba by two enemy politicians”.

“Mr. Thom was brought in to discredit Bingu, who was running for president under the United Party (UP) ticket at the time. Thom, who was in his 60s at the time, falsely claimed to be a member of the Mutharika family.

“In light of this, the elders of the Mutharika family invited Mr. Thom to the village in order to understand the nature of his relationship with the family. However, he was unable to provide any explanation.

“In the lead up to the 2019 election, Thom was ‘dug up’ by another enemy politician and brought to a rally at Goliati, where he was promised a house. However, this promise was never fulfilled.”

On this case, the Mutharikas refer episode that was done by former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice-president for the South, Kondwani Nankhumwa, at the peak of a leadership wrangle within the DPP hierarchy to do with Nankhumwa’s removal from representing the party as Leader of Opposition in Parliament.

It was reported in 2022 that Nankhumwa visited Karani Thom at Kachingwe Village in Traditional Authority Mkalo in Chiradzulu where he donated various assorted items for Kalani’s upkeep, and also pledged to construct him a decent house as he did not own one and lived in his sister’s house.

Nankhumwa was reported to have been accompanied by several traditional chiefs, Kalani’s three children and Pastor Joseph Thom Mutharika — but the Mutharika family deemed this as Nankhumwa trying to gain political mileage.

Through Namalomba, the Mutharika family also issued a statement chastising the then estranged DPP vice-president — emphasising that in APM’s family, “there were six children who survived adulthood: Jimmie, Lizzie, Bingu, Ida, Peter and Christina”.

“Any person who claims to be a sibling to the Mutharika family is a fraud and an impostor,” the statement had said, whilst asking Nankhumwa to “slow down and reflect” as he was taking his “war for presidency [of the DPP then] too far against innocent people”.

In this new episode, APM says now that another election is approaching, it is the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) that has resurfaced Karani Thom through the Sunday MBC interview, still claiming to be the son of the young brother of APM’s father.

“This is a false claim,” maintains Namalomba in the statement, adding that APM’s “uncle spent his entire life in Tanzania and only returned in the late 60s with his Tanzanian wife and two young children”.

“His daughter resides in Chisoka Village while his son lives in Mulanje. His uncle had no other children. This man is an imposter and a dishonest person. His claim that he was responsible for creating the DPP logo (chimanga folo) is as fictitious as is his claim to the membership of the Mutharika family.

“He is only hired by enemies during election time to slander and defame the Mutharika name. We want to urge the MCP and other failed politicians to desist from exploiting this man for their political gain,” says the statement.