Minister deplores soldier’s shooting
Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Paul Chibingu has deplored the shooting of a Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldier in Zomba, describing the incident as regrettable.
The minister has since called for peaceful coexistence between MDF and Malawi Police Service (MPS).
There was tension in Zomba on Sunday following the shooting of Lance Corporal Prince Lameck by an MPS patrol officer on Saturday night.
In an interview in Lilongwe yesterday on the sidelines of a workshop on result based management for senior police officers, Chibingu said despite the fact that he was yet to be formally briefed on the incident, it was regrettable that things had turned out that way.
He said: “What happened in Zomba is regrettable. As government, we are very sad with the death of our soldier, but I would like to appeal to both the MDF and the police to coexist peacefully.
“Both the Malawi Police and MDF provide security in the country and they need to work together because we have the same agenda. Although the incident is very regrettable, I would like to urge the soldiers not to overreact.”
Deputy Minister of Defence Jappie Mhango agreed with Chibingu that the incident was unfortunate and asked police officers and MDF soldiers to coexist peacefully.
MDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Francis Kakhuta-Banda said Lameck, from Phwandaphwanda Village, in Traditional Authority Nkalo in Chiradzulu, was buried with full military honours. He was born on May 17 1987 and joined MDF on January 3 2008.
This is exactly what happens when a clueless commander in chief of our armed forces in the country that also happens to be the head of state, gives a direct order to the police to use any force against the very same people they are supposed to protect. You can not give such an open ended directive to a poorly trained trigger happy Malawi police force that leaves a lot to be desired.
In the UK not every police officer is allowed to carry arms and those who do have to pass a rigorous test first and it does not end there, every year they have to pass an amplitude test to make sure they can still be trusted to carry a fire arm without endangering the general public.
How on earth can well trained three, not just one but three police officers fail to contain a single drunk unarmed person to the extent that they resorted to murdering him in cold blood.
I am just hoping that our army will handle this case with the sensitiveness and maturity it deserves; we do not want to see another operation Bwenzani.
You just want to accuse the president for nothing. Why should every event end with the President? Can you qualify what this order is all about and if it exist tell us in what context the order was given. Kungozolowera kusavuka ndi unwarranted criticism basi!!!!! Have you heard the circumstances that resulted in the shooting kuti uziti anapangitsa ndi President?