BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Malawi Police acting Inspector General Duncan Mwapasa, in collaboration with the Malawi Defence Force (MDF), has warned of prosecution for people breaching national lockdown orders put in place due to the covid-19 pandemic.
Mwapasa has issued the warning today 16th April, 2020 during a press briefing held at the Malawi Police headquarters in Lilongwe.
“Whoever wishes to disrupt the lockdown order shall be dealt with according to the law and all dictates of the rule of law and human rights. The MDF will be deployed as complimentary force.
“Our last resort is making arrest, which we do not want to do. What we are trying to get is volunteer compliance, and that we all work together on this. We are trying to deal with the spirit of the law,” said Mwapasa.
In his remarks, MDF commander, General Peter Namathanga, said the army is empowered by the law to play complementary role in exercises such as the Covid-19 lockdown.
“Military personnel will be deployed to make sure that Malawians comply with the lockdown order as a way of saving lives,” he said.
But one commentator has faulted the security agencies, saying “Using excessive force and detention will not quell the empty stomachs of Malawians.”
Malawi leader Peter Mutharika has announced a 21-day national lockdown as the country’s coronavirus figures surged on Monday to 16 from 12.
According to the president, the measure will initially be effective at midnight on Saturday, 18th April, 2020 and it will end on Saturday 9th May, 2020, at midnight.
He said the move was to help disrupt the rise of the coronavirus which has been rising since the first case was recorded last month.
However, opposition parties and civil society organizations have criticized the president for implementing the lockdown without safety measures.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) is reportedly considering to seek court order against the implementation of the lockdown.
Lazarus Chakwera and his Malawi Congress Party (MCP) are too hungry for power they have done everything to come into government through the backdoor.
From organizing violent post-election demonstrations to undermining Malawi Police Service including killing and undressing officers and looting their houses, Chakwera the reverend has lived up to MCP’s character of inherent brutality and bloodletting.
They have sought to weaken state institutions and undermine democracy, Rule of Law and Government – all in the bid to rise to power.
But there is something worse they have done — which is seeking to damage the integrity of the Malawi Defence Force (MDF).
Chakwera and his officials have been coddling MDF to do something sinister and unconstitutional – overthrow government.
A number of instances come to mind.
As results of the 21 May 2019 elections started trickling in, he did a press statement on May 22 where he called himself Commander-in-Chief.
He has repeated this in several of his statements since then.
As they have been waging their war of violence, they have done everything to have Malawi Police Service blacklisted while they have publicly extolled MDF.
in the latest case at their rally in Msundwe last Saturday, Chakwera and his henchmen went on a spree talking ill of the Malawi Police Service while praising the MDF.
These statements are not ordinary. It is MCP’s way of luring the MDF to breach the Constitution and subvert democracy in Malawi.
That MDF is refusing to be dragged into unconstitutionalism must be painful for the power-hungry Chakwera and his MCP.
And it’s going back to haunt them big time.
To begin with, their attempt to drag MDF into politics reminds everyone how cruel and evil Chakwera and MCP are. MCP is dangerous to society now as it was then. It is ironic that MCP is as bloody in democracy and under the leadership of a ‘Man of God’ as it was before multiparty politics in Malawi.
Secondly, their plot to take over government by force demonstrates their inability to fit in democracy where competition in elections is the way for you to come to power. MCP remains a party that does not respect the Rule of Law and wants to remain a dictator.
Thirdly, it shows that MCP painfully admits that it cannot win an election. Of course it can’t, as Malawians will never forget the blood it shed in its 31-year rule, an image which it has made fresh with the violence and bloodshed it has caused after the elections last year.
Fourthly, we now know what MCP is capable of doing when it has powers on its disposal. It is its nature to be brutal. With power in their hands, MCP will be worse than it was in those 31 years.
That is why Malawians have been rejecting MCP. That is why MDF will always reject MCP’s overtures.
MDF remembers very that this is the party that created a paramilitary wing, the Malawi Young Pioneer, which it equipped better than the MDF itself. It was MCP that created competition for the MDF.
Malawi Young Pioneer was part of the brutal and human rights abusing machinery of the MCP regime.
Together with the violent Youth League which was modelled on the Nazi’s Red Shirts which executed the Holocaust, MYP maimed and killed innocent Malawians with the licence of the devil himself.
It was the MDF that freed Malawians from this brutality when it dismantled and disarmed Malawi Young Pioneer (MYP) during Operation Bwezani in 1992.
Let it also be remembered that in Africa and the rest of the world, the Malawi Defense Force is highly respected for its discipline and professionalism.
At home and abroad, where ever they have gone, the men and women in uniform are heroes who are the pride of the people of Malawi.
They have been in peacekeeping missions where they have saved many lives in Africa and the rest of the world.
They have been commended by international organizations such as the United Nations and regional bodies like African Union for their efforts to bring peace and order in Africa and the rest of the world.
Above all, they have been hailed by the world governments such as the US for their impeccable record for respect of Constitutionalism.
Chakwera and his thugs should not taint the image of their defence force because of his selfish interests.
Ministry of health (MOH) with help from the World Health Organisations (WHO) and different stakeholders has opened isolation centres where doctors will be treating people suffering from contagious diseases.
Health Minister, Atupele Muluzi disclosed this during the opening of one the built isolation centres at Kameza, Blantyre.
Muluzi said the isolation centres is one way of government’s alertness for any disease outbreaks such as Ebola and Cholera.
The health minister said the development will now enable local medical personnel to examine and provide assistance to patients suffering from strange diseases.
“The centres which we have built with help from different stakeholders including WHO will help doctors in the country through the centres treat people suffering from infectious diseases which in the past was not happening,” Muluzi said.
The isolation centres have been built in the districts of Karonga, Mzuzu, Blantyre, Dedza, Ntcheu and Mchinji.
Meanwhile, MOH says will start screening visitors from outside the countries at boarders and airports of the country.
The ministry is also working together with Malawi Defence Force (MDF) and that it has embark on exercise of screening soldiers arriving in the country from their peace keeping mission in DRC where there is Ebola outbreak.
Mzuzu vendors to express their anger by dumping wastes at senior council boss’ office
Mzuzu Vendors Association has asked Mzuzu City Council to involve Malawi Defence Force (MDF) in the removal of illegal street vendors since the Malawi Police Service (MPS) has failed.
The Mzuzu Vendors Association made the appeal during a stakeholders meeting aimed at finding lasting solutions to illegal vending in the City.
Speaking on behalf of the association’s President, Mzuzu Central Market vendors’ committee secretary, Franklin Hara, said the Council should involve the MDF if it is committed to ending illegal vending.
“We have been working with police officers for many years, but there is no change. Let us try the MDF,” he said.
Hara said many businesses of legitimate vendors are now dying due to illegal vending that has spread throughout the City.
“We pay market fees on a daily basis, while the illegal vendors do not pay anything.”
In reaction, Mzuzu Police Assistant Commissioner Armakio Daka, said the removal of illegal vendors from the streets needs collaborated efforts from all stakeholders.
Daka argued that the problem has come about due to failure of the City Council to pay allowances to officers. We agreed that 150 officers in uniform will be getting a daily allowance of K5,800 each, but the Council only paid for two days, when officers had worked for seven days,” Daka said.
He said illegal vendors are selling their merchandise everywhere in the City due to lack of coordination between the City Council and the Police Service.
“Police officers have not failed. Mzuzu is a small City; we cannot fail to remove illegal vendors, but we need to take care of our officers. Let us be serious,” he said.
Commenting on the matter, Deputy Mayor for Mzuzu City, Councillor Alexander Mwakikunga, said the City Council has put aside K5 million in this new financial year for the illegal vendors sweeping exercise.
Mwakikung assured the public that from Monday next week, Police will be deployed again to carry out the sweeping exercise for a week.
In the past, Mzuzu City Council daily deployed 150 Police officers, but due to financial constraints, the Council intends to reduce this to ten police officers per day with an allowance of K5,800.
Some observers say this is a mockery.
Mzuzu City Council constructed a flea market three years ago, but many vendors are not willing to relocate to the new market; they argue that it is far from the main market and road.
LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Some lawmakers in the ongoing sitting of Parliament have strongly accused the country’s judiciary of being soft in handling people involved in the carelessly cutting down of trees saying is a recipe for depletion of forests.
The accusation comes barely a few days after the court in Mzuzu granted an injunction some timber millers operating in Viphya Plantation popularly known as Chikangawa in Mzimba district to stop the Malawi government through Department of the Environmental and Climate Change Affairs from implementing the timber sewing closing season which runs from October 31 November to April next year.
Malawi Defence Force soldiers manning Chikangawa forest
Members of Parliament (MPs) took turns accusing the courts when they were debating the passed land-related Forestry (Amendment) bill, which seeks to empower customary land committees and local government authorities in the protection of forests.
In his contribution, on behalf of People’s Party (PP), Werani Chilenga, Chairperson of Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources and Climate Change expressed disappointment over the judiciary’s verdict for failing to support the forest management drive.
Chilenga disclosed that there is a syndicate of some timber millers who are conniving with the courts to grant them stay order on any decision government was implementing to conserve the plantation for further depletion.
He said the conduct of the judiciary on forestry management of aiding people to further invade the protected flora in the country without showing any remorse.
“Instead of making sure that people who are plundering forests are arrested, the judiciary wants the arrest of Forestry Director, Army Brigadiers, and plantation managers. This is every worrisome situation. The courts now want to take over the forests management”, said Chilenga.
But, Mzima West MP Harry Mkandawire while agreeing with Chilenga on other aspects of the court’s conduct, he said the latter should have considered the reasons behind the injunction.
MP Mkandawire observed that the stay order was in a light direction considering that only foreign companies were monopolizing the sewing of timber in Chikangawa.
Mkandawire hinted that there was no apparent reason for the department announcing the closer of sewing till April and only exempting Raiply.
“The stay order should have cut across to all miller sewers not only to locals operators. I consider this as a segregation which must not be condoned”, said Mkandawire.
In his reaction to the accusation, Judiciary spokesperson, Mlenga Mvula challenged the lawmakers over their outbursts saying the court’s mandate is to interpret and enforce the laws that are approved in the national assembly.
Mvula said the MPs were supposed to be the last group of people blaming the judiciary which is an independent arm of government.
He said access to justice is meant for everyone and that obtaining an injunction is also part and parcel of access to justice.
“Besides, injunctions are not forever as short time remedy for injury one suffers on something as such any one not happy with it they can also challenge the court.
“Unfortunately, the Forest Act being used now is outdated whereby the same MPs could have looked into it late they blame the judiciary on their conducts”, challenges Mvula.
After the closure of Viphya plantation early last month, government deployed the Malawi Defense Force (MDF) soldiers to bring order to the forest due to massive depletion in the recent years.
President Peter Mutharika on Sunday led the nation in observing Remembrance Day in honour of Malawi’s soldiers who died in the First and Second World Wars.
Mutharika led hundreds of people from all walks of life at the main event at the Area 18 War Memorial Tower in Lilongwe. Continue reading Malawi President Mutharika Led Malawians On Remembrance Day→
MZIMBA-(MaraviPost)-Malawi government through Department of the Environmental and Climate Change Affairs has deployed the Malawi Defense Force (MDF) soldiers to bring order to the closed Viphya Plantation popularly known as Chikangawa in Mzimba district. Continue reading Govt deploys MDF soldiers to guard Chikangawa forest in Mzimba→
KARONGA-(MaraviPost)-The Malawi Police this week arrested nine of its officers in the northern border district of Karonga, allegedly for aiding maize smuggling through bribes.
