Concerned citizens in Karonga and Chitipa have asked President Peter Mutharika to take a leading role in championing reconciliation in the country.
The grouping’s call come amid the escalating levels of violence due to the anti-Jane Ansah demonstrations organized by Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) where among others lives and billions of properties have been lost.
Speaking at a press briefing that the concerned citizens organized on Wednesday, Chairperson of the grouping Walusako Munde said the president should stop burying his head in the sand but should come out to address the nation on escalating levels of violence in the country.
“Conflict resolution is part of leadership and we expect the president to rise to the challenge and start addressing such issues,” he said.
He added that the grouping continues to be alarmed with what he described as blatant selective application of justice by the Malawi Police Service.
According to Munde, the international community particularly SADC, African Union and United Nations should put Malawi on a spotlight.
“The international community shouldn’t wait till the situation gets out of hand, Malawi is just a spark away from a full-blown civil war, which is currently smothering,” he warned.
However, reacting to the concerns, Government Spokesperson who is also the Minister of Information, Communications and Technology Mark Botomani, said there was no need for the president to address the nation since the Malawi leader already addressed these issues in various forums that the president has been appeared in.
“I do not understand when they say the president should specifically address Malawians because even last Sunday in Mulanje the president addressed the nation to live at peace despite our differences in region and tribe,” articulated the Minister.
When asked to comment on the alleged selective of justice by the Police, Botomani said it’s a matter of perception when they say selective justice. He further said that the Police has always been doing its work according to the law.
