The transfer of Central Region Police Commissioner, Clifford Bandawe, to Zomba Police College is too close to the fracas that ensued at Kaphiri Trading Centre in Lilongwe, to be a coincidence.
National Police spokesperson, James Kadadzera, argues that the redeployment of Bandawe is normal as per Malawi Police Service (MPS) conditions of service.
But we believe the transfer has everything to do with the incident. However, even if the two events were not related, we still feel the police were careless in their approach to the fracas which closed the M1 Road for some hours and led to the burning of an MPS anti-riot vehicle.
To begin with, how did the commanding officers allow their officers to approach a scene of riots as if they were going for an evangelism rally where people are supposed to be in a meditative mood? How did the police dispatch a faulty vehicle to quell violence?
It might also be worth scrutinising if all the blame should be heaped on Commissioner Bandawe.
MPS officers fail to take care of their fleet, making it susceptible to frequent breakdowns. Yes, the nature of their job demands that they go everywhere to root out crime and the vehicles cannot be as smart as those on presidential convoy.
But, surely, carrying bags of Irish potatoes and charcoal on car seats is not part of tactics to fight crime. Give the MPS the toughest off-road vehicles; give them any other type and in no time, all vehicles will be scraps.
Of course, the government shares the blame for giving the police too little resources. Upon ascending to power, President Peter Mutharika, who is Commander-in-Chief of the MPS, promised to buy at least 100 vehicles for the police. To date, we have not seen these vehicles.
It is time the President made good of his promise. It is also time the MPS learnt to take seriously their work. Lilongwe is the nerve centre of the country and we cannot afford to be negligent in our conduct.
Leave a Reply