Committee to summon Police IG on security

Public Appointments Committee (PAC) of Parliament says it plans to summon Inspector General of Police (IG) George Kainja on the deteriorating security situation in the country.

PAC chairperson Joyce Chitsulo said in an interview on Sunday that her committee is expected to meet and set a date for the meeting with the police chief.

However, she said the committee wants the meeting to take place before the end of this week.

Chitsulo said: “We will have to ask him questions and hear him first then we will see whether we are convinced or not before we move to the next step.”

Last month, the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (Cdedi) asked PAC to summon the IG on the alleged indicators of incompetence, nepotism and criminal negligence.

Cdedi accused the IG of failing to fulfil pledges to mend the sour relations between police and the citizens and improve internal security lapses such as the recent murders and police station break-ins.

However, Chitsulo said the committee will give a chance to the IG to respond to the issues raised.

Responding to the development, Cdedi executive director Sylvester Namiwa said he was delighted that their issue was being attended to, saying they are looking forward to the outcome.

“The issue of security has not improved as people are still living in fear and have completely lost trust in the police. We want the IG to be declared incompetent and fired,” he said.

In a letter dated February 20 2022 addressed to PAC, Cdedi cited recent reports of murders, including that of a Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences student and a lawyer in Blantyre as well as Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) official in Dedza, as well as a Malawi Defence Force soldier in Kawale, Lilongwe as indicators of internal security lapse in the country.

In October 2021, Cdedi wrote the office of the Ombudsman, raising similar issues.