LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Malawi police through its deputy national spokesperson Thomeck Nyaude has denied reports that Peoples Land Organization (PLO) leader Vincent Wandale has been arrested following last Thursday’s land grabs on private-owned Conforzi Estate in Thyolo district.It was reported in the social media that Wandale was arrested on Friday due to a letter he issued titled, The African Traditionalist Government of The United States of Thyolo and Mulanje (MUST) declaring war against the foreign aggression from their ancestors land.
Wandale even wrote on his Facebook account that he had been arrested in the capital Lilongwe with other unconfirmed reports that he has been transferred to Blantyre.
“I’m in police custody in Lilongwe. As Head of State Im under immunity by Vienna Convention. As an act happening after issuing a declaration of war, I am a prisoner of war,” wrote Wandale.
His Facebook status was referring to rambling declaration he issued on Friday which in part reads;
“Following the powers vested in the Supreme Leader by article 110 of the Constitution of the African Traditionalist Republic of the United States of Thyolo and Mulanje (MUST) on declaration of war and peace and the mobilization of the armed forces.
“The African Traditionalist Government of the United States of Thyolo and Mulanje (MUST) has declared a state of war against the Republic of Malawi and shall commence hostilities on Friday, the 9th of September, in the year 2016 to ward off the foreign aggression unleashed by the Republic of Malawi. All neutral neighboring States including Mozambique, Tanzania, and Zambia are asked to take note of this development.
“All citizens of the African Traditionalist Republic of MUST are being asked to gear up for war and undergo military training as provided for in the Constitution of the African Traditionalist Republic of MUST. Corporate taxation without exemption shall be levied on all colonial estate companies in Thyolo and Mulanje to finance state operations and the war effort and any defaults shall be resolved by nationalizing the concerned estate,” concludes Wandale’s statement.
Following the land grabs fracas, government issued its statement of Friday condemning the illegal invasion of the private land.
The statement which government spokesperson Patricia Kaliati signed defended Conforzi for leaving the land to fallow as it was conforming to international standards.
But in an exclusive interview with The Maravi Post on Sunday, Deputy Police National Spokesperson Nyaude disputed claims of Wandale’s arrest.
Nyaude said there is no any entry of police register of Wandale’s name, “Its not true about that. In fact there is no such an entry in our police registers country wide”.
In April this year PLO leader Vincent Wandale declared Thyolo and Mulanje as independent states calling it the “United States of Mulanje and Thyolo” purportedly on behalf of the group.
Wandale gave government up to September 1 to resolve the land issue by giving them back their forefather’s land or would start distributing among them.
The PLO has been agitating for the local peoples occupation of all idle tea estates land in the districts since its establishment in 2009.
The organization has been demanding that estates owners pay £65 (about K53 000) per acre per year for all used colonial estate land from 1914 to date.
PLO has also been requesting from the estates owners a wage rate of £6.13 per hour (about K5 000) per individual for those who were involved in Thangata (bonded labour) between 1914 and 1963