For the third time in about a month, leader of anti-government protests Bon Kalindo is in Malawi Police custody. This time the crime is in relation to electricity connection at his house.
Malawi Police Spokesperson James Kadadzera has confirmed that Kalindo is in police custody following his arrest this morning.
According to Kadadzera, Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) went to the house Kalindo is residing in at Area 25 in Lilongwe where they found illegal electricity connections.
Kalindo is a tenant at the house but was arrested over the issue and taken to Lilongwe Police Station.
“He is likely to answer charges of tampering with electricity equipment as stipulated in the Electricity Act,” said Kadadzera.
The arrest comes days after Police also obtained a warrant of arrest for Kalindo on allegations that he insulted President Lazarus Chakwera during anti-government demonstrations which the activist led on Friday, January 21
The arrest did not happen after the then Minister of Homeland Security told Police that the Tonse Alliance Government does not want people to be arrested based on the crime of insulting the president under Section 4 of the Protected Flags, Emblems and Names Act.
Kalindo has been leading anti-government demonstrations since November last year. In December, he was also arrested for remarks made during demonstrations in Mzuzu and Mangochi. After he was given bail, he was also arrested for malicious damage during demonstrations. Earlier this month, the Police thwarted demonstrations which he organized in Blantyre.
On Friday, Kalindo led thousands of Malawians in marching across Blantyre over Chakwera’s failure to deliver on campaign promises and find solutions to the rising cost of living in Malawi. Protesters also expressed concern over corruption and nepotism under president Chakwera.
