MCP slaps Malawi police officers in the face

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Lazarus Chakwera

Opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has blasted the Malawi Police Service for granting them a deaf ear after a fracas had broken out at a rally the party held with other opposition parties in Mzuzu over the weekend.

On Sunday, unknown youth groupings armed with panga knives and pipes attacked some supporters of the MCP, the Peoples Party (PP) and the Alliance for Democracy (Aford) who jointly held a party at Chibavi ground in the Northern region city.

While there remain sketchy reports on who the perpetrators were, the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is being blamed for the attacks, with other reports saying it was a faction within the PP which was against the union with the two other parties and therefore thought of causing mayhem at the rally attended by MCP Leader, Lazarous Chakwera among others.

Gustave Kaliwo
Gustave Kaliwo: Police have let us down.

But speaking at a press briefing on Monday in Lilongwe MCP’s Secretary General Gustave Kaliwo said they are still puzzled on why the law enforcers were not at the rally to provide security despite the fact that the opposition parties had sought notice at their offices prior to the day of the rally.

Kaliwo while seemingly suspecting foul play said that why is also surprising is that the police have not netted any person in connection with the attacks which left four people inured saying that some of the people who led the attacks are famous people in the city claiming that the police knows them.

He said that the MCP is concerned with both the dormancy by the law enforcers to come when they reported o them during the violence and even just to be present at the rally.

But Mzuzu Police publicist is being quoted in the media as only having said police are investigating the matter.

Malawi24 has however learnt that two people were as of Tuesday apprehended by police.

Meanwhile both the DPP and PP claimed faction have distanced themselves from the row, something which has left Malawians puzzled on the intentions the attackers had in mind.