BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Malawian born but South Africa based Professor of Law, Danwood Chirwa, has lambasted the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) government over the arrest of Joshua Chisa Mbele, describing it as an abuse of power and a futile threat.
Chisa Mbele, a fierce critic of the Tonse Alliance government under the leadership of Lazarus Chakwera and Saulos Chilima, was arrested yesterday at his home in Salima and drove him to Area 18 Police Station in Lilongwe for questioning over an alleged cyber-related crime.
In his reaction, Professor Chirwa said the arrest was a clear testimony that MCP is still living in the undemocratic past when civic space was very limited, if there was any.
“Let’s be clear: the arrest of Joshua Chisa Mbele was an abuse of power, simple, and a futile threat, more importantly. Such abuse has started too quickly and evokes tragic memories of MCP’s dark past. I thought this was a poor joke.
“No one fears this current MCP — a bunch of amateurs, pretenders, and dull and backward cheats, ruled by the stomach. You didn’t bring democracy to Malawi, you opposed it. You lost power to democracy and took power back because of it. Thou shalt not bring us back to the dark days of unlawful detention and suppression of free speech,” wrote Chirwa on his facebook page.
People suffered a myriad of injustices during the MCP’s 31-year rule under late President Kamuzu Banda, father and founder of Malawi. Arbitrary arrests, killing of critics were the order of the day.
