Police in Mzuzu have arrested four people in connection with the fracas that erupted during a solidarity rally which president of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Lazarus Chakwera, conducted with other opposition leaders at Chibavi Primary School ground in Mzuzu on Sunday.
The police also summoned Peoples Party’s (PP) senior member, Harry Mkandawire, who is also Member of Parliament (MP) for Mzimba West to record a statement on what he observed during the violence.
Regional Police Spokesperson Maurice Chapola identified the four as Francis Kasyololo 30, George Mwamtobe 38, Lumbani Munthali 29 and Clive Nthakomwa 52 from Chitipa, Rumphi and Karonga, respectively.
Chapola disclosed that Mwamtobe and Munthali are ticket sellers in the Mzuzu bus depot but refused to divulge information about Nthakomwa who The Daily Times can reveal that is currently PP’s Regional Secretary for the North in the Christopher Mzomera Ngwira’s faction but prior to the division he was a senior offciail in the party’s youth wing.
According to Chapola the main occupation for Kasyololo remains unknown.
“We have arrested the four separately and other arrests will follow since we deployed officers to conduct investigations, however, I must emphasize that their current detention is not along political lines, that will be done as we keep probing,” Chapola said.
The four suspects will be charged for proposing violence which is contrary to Section 86 of the Penal Code.
Speaking separately in a telephone interview Mkandawire said he has presented his side of the story and that he hopes that the police will do a good job on the matter saying it will be one way of upholding multiparty democracy in the country.
Asked on why he went ahead to attend the rally even after Ngwira cautioned him otherwise, Mkandawire said the former has no such mandate since he was fired by the party.
“I read in the paper and I talked to him but then my simple question is since when did I start getting instructions from him? Need I remind you people that Ngwira was fired from the party that’s why even in Parliament he changed the sitting place? So he should not come to the media and guise himself as PP. Even the party president Uladi Mussa is not amused with the confusion Ngwira is causing,” Mkandawire explained.
Despite numerous reports pointing towards Ngwira to have hired the thugs, the estranged PP provincial chairperson was non-committal on the accusation when contacted again yesterday saying he is speaking like any other party sympathiser.
Meanwhile, police have appealed to everyone who sustained injuries to report to the law enforcers with their medical reports so that statements can be recorded.
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