Drivers nabbed over minister’s stolen vehicle

Police have arrested chauffeurs for Minister of Information, Tourism and Culture Kondwani Nankhumwa and his principal secretary (PS) Chimwemwe Banda in connection with the carjack of the minister’s official Toyota Prado TX vehicle.

National Police spokesperson Rhoda Manjolo yesterday confirmed both the theft of the vehicle and the subsequent arrests of the minister’s and PS’s drivers.

Manjolo said Nankhumwa’s official vehicle was stolen at Lunzu in Blantyre shortly after it had dropped the minister at a hotel within Blantyre City.

According to Manjolo, the minister’s driver, who she identified as Jaffalie Daud Malema, was supposed to be in the company of a security aide of the minister, but requested to leave a lodge at Lunzu alone where the duo had booked for the night to visit the PS’s driver at another lodge away from the township.

Police said Malema told investigators that en route to the other lodge, armed robbers carjacked the vehicle and sped away.

But Manjolo said the law enforcers now suspect the two drivers may have connived to steal the vehicle.

She said: “We arrested the two on Sunday and we have subsequently charged them with conspiracy to commit a felony and also negligence in preserving government property. The vehicle is yet to be recovered and investigations continue.”

According to Manjolo, Malema, 46, comes from Nongwe Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Mkanda in Mulanje while the PS’s driver, Happy Nyirenda, is aged 44 and comes from Mzimba.

In a separate interview, Nankhumwa, who is also the official government spokesperson, refused to comment on whether the situation in the country could be referred as security breakdown.

He referred questions on the matter to Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security Paul Chibingu, who could not be reached for comment yesterday.

In the recent past, the country has witnessed some daring robberies against senior government officials and also a surge in violent crime with several business premises attacked by armed robbers.

The theft of the minister’s official vehicle comes barely a few months after thugs broke into the home of Minister of Natural Resources, Energy and Mining AtupeleMuluzi and a similar breach of security was reported at Mudi Residence, the official residence of Vice-President SaulosChilima in Blantyre.

Sometime last year, thugs also carjacked a Toyota Prado TX vehicle from High Court judge Roland Mbvundula. The vehicle is yet to be traced.

Newly appointed Police Inspector General Paul Kanyama has vowed to end the spate of robberies, but the continued high-profile attacks could continue to raise questions about the law enforcers’ ability to quickly deal with the situation.

Some foreign investors, including a group of Chinese businesspersons, recently warned that the deteriorating security situation would scare away prospective investors and force some in the country to consider departing.