We want Grace’s head – Malawians demand

A section of Malawians have demanded that President Peter Mutharika deliver before them the head of one of his trusted lieutenants.

Minister of Home Affairs Grace Chiumia who is the source of discontent for most Malawians has come under intense fire for ordering arrests of National Registration Bureau (NRB) members of staff.

Chiumia is reported to have ordered the arrest of the 42 who she had eavesdropped saying they intend to leak the bureau’s information after the exercise for failure by the NRB to pay them their arrears.

While Chiumia says the move was to protect government resources, she has been heavily critised by the Forum for National Development (FND).

In a statement made available to Malawi24, the FND says the conduct is not just a disgrace to the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) but also a conduct that portrays her as abusing power.

‘’FND is appalled with the while fiasco and fears that such abuse of power, if not checked, may escalate. How can the whole cabinet Minister forget that we are in multiparty democracy where freedom of association, freedom of assembly and freedom of speech enshrined  in the republican constitution; therefore any Malawian has a right to assemble and discus issues affecting  him or her ‘’ reads the statement in part.

The FND has since called on the DPP government to ‘punish’ the Minister and hailed the judiciary for releasing the arrested.

Earlier this year, Chiumia came also similar fire for calling Mutharika, Malawi’s life President.

The national registration exercise has been marred by incessant labour disputes with the biggest involving perks and allowances for the registration officers.

Thus far, the exercise is in its third phase and Chiumia told the media up to two million two hundred and twenty two thousand people have registered.