Inspector General (IG) of Police Merlyne Yolamu yesterday declined to comment on police officers’ failure to prevent attacks on peaceful protesters.
However, Minister of Homeland Security Ezekiel Ching’oma said he has information that businesspeople disrupted the demonstrations.
Yesterday the police and the Ministry of Homeland Security attracted the wrath of the public after civil society organisations (CSOs) planned protests under the banner Citizens for Credible Elections were disrupted by armed hooligans in full view of police and Malawi Defence Force (MDF) officers.
When contacted on why the police failed to protect protesters, Yolamu refused to grant an interview, saying the National Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya was better placed to comment.
But Kalaya was not available on his mobile phone number while his deputy Harry Namwaza said he was out of office.
However, Ching’oma said the solution to continued attacks by panga-wielding hooligans is to have a mechanism where demonstrators would compensate the business community for disrupting their businesses.
He said: “Government finds itself in an awkward situation where on one hand, it has to protect the rights of demonstrators and on the other, it has to protect businesses.
“As a government, it is our duty to protect everyone. We have to protect the rights of the people who want to demonstrate but at the same time we have to protect the rights of the business people.”
Asked why the government was not able to put police and MDF soldiers in strategic places to protect the businesses and their property, the minister said people still damage shops due to violence.
Governance expert Moses Mkandawire has since described Ching’oma’s statements as unfortunate, saying as a minister he has to ensure that every Malawian is protected and secure.
“That kind of an argument can only be pursued by someone who is not in Malawi,” he said.
