“I accept the apology and I will forgive and carryon”- David Bisnowaty

Lilongwe City Centre legislature, David Bisonwaty says has accepted apology from the Leader of Opposition and the Deputy Leader of the House, on the racism remarks made in the National Assembly on Thursday last week by some Malawi Congress Party (MCP) legislatures.

Leader of Opposition and President of Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Lazarus Chakwera and the Deputy Leader of the House, Kondwani Nankhumwa including Peoples Party (PP) offered a word of apology to David Bisnowaty over racism remarks from MCP legislatures.

“Mr Speaker Sir, nevertheless, I believe like most of you, that Malawians are loving and caring people. And like the Leader of Opposition said we have to forgive, forget and carryon, and therefore I accept the apology and I will forgive and carryon” said Bisnowaty

Before accepting the apology, Bisnowaty in his statement made a brief recounts of circumstances which made him become Malawian citizen.

“I want this House to understand also where I come from. I come from a family of who are all called survivors.  

I come from a family where my grandmother was the only survivor of the eleven brothers and sisters during the Nazi, Germany (atrocities). I come from a family where my mother was over a year stayed in a concentration camp, a family that was discriminated for being Jews. And that was their only crime.” Narrates Bisnowaty

He then said “Mr. Speaker Sir, to hear the sentiments in this August House, in this beautiful country where I spent many years of my life, where I gave my own citizenship to become a Malawi citizen I think it is not what I expected from anybody in this respectful House.

This House has to keep integrity, this house has to keep the law.” He said “And yes sometimes people don’t like what other members say in this House. But I believe in democracy and I believe that the member can have a right to say and that right should not be stopped and certainly should not be responded to by the color of that member or religion.

The parliamentarian said he went through the hansard to see what was said on that day and was ready at appropriate time to bring into the House the copies of what was said. He also wondered as to why some legislatures became so angry and outragious on remarks he never spoke ill of the father and founder of this nation Dr. Ngwazi Hastings Kamuzu Banda. Bisnowaty said he does not find any substance why some members reacted that much.