Malawi: Parliament Explodes in Laughter As Minister Gangata Struggles to Speak - - MPs Left Roaring

Malawi Parliament descended into farce on Monday as MPs openly patronised Sports and Culture Minister Alfred Gangata, mocking his struggles with basic English the moment he rose to speak.

Gangata, clutching prepared notes, inched through his statement line by line.

"Mr Speaker Sir, I beg to propose... I beg to present the paper... under item 3C31, 3C32, 3C3," he read slowly, stumbling over the words as MPs exchanged glances.

When he finally added, "I beg to move," the chamber erupted -- not in respect, but in cheers and handclaps as Speaker Sameer Suleman summoned the sergeant-at-arms to rescue the documents and place them on the dispatch box for him.

"Do you wish to speak to your papers?" the Speaker asked, barely containing laughter.

"No," Gangata replied, saying he would refer the matter to the Legal Affairs Committee -- triggering another wave of laughter and applause.

The Speaker's own "Thank you" came with a visible grin as MPs broke into open mockery.

Gangata, a wealthy businessman-turned-politician, has long been a target of public ridicule over his grammar and difficulty delivering speeches in English, even with scripts in hand.

His recent gaffe -- "My people, my football" -- has become a national punchline, with Malawians gleefully repeating it whenever his name surfaces.

This article originally appeared on Nyasa Times.