Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera missed the John Chilembwe Day event in Chiradzulu due to fears over his safety.
The Chilembwe Day event was held at Providence Industrial Mission (PIM) in Chiradzulu today.
According to MCP Secretary General Eisenhower Mkaka, the MCP leader was on his way to Chiradzulu when he was tipped that his safety at the event was not guaranteed.
“We drove early in the morning all the way from Lilongwe and were just a kilometre or two away from the venue when we got tipped by the party security team on the ground to go back as the security was very volatile,” Mkaka told the local media.
Government invited Chakwera to the event and he was expected to lay a wreath.
Government spokesperson Henry Mussa refuted the MCP’s claim saying police officers provided security and Chakwera was free to attend.
Mussa added that the opposition leader should tell Malawians the real reason why he failed to show up.
“Police officers were deployed at the function to provide security, what security is the Malawi Congress Party Secretary General talking about? They should tell Malawians other reasons as to why they failed to attend the event,” Mussa said.
President Peter Mutharika graced the ceremony and in his speech, he called for unity among Malawians.
Mutharika also praised Chilembwe as a patriotic Malawian who wanted the country to develop.
