Malawi President admits crime surge
Malawi President Joyce Banda has made a rare admission that crime is on the rise in the country.
The President made the admission in Malawi’s capital, Lilongwe, on Thursday when she opened a Security Sector Symposium at the Bingu International Conference Centre.
Said Banda: “I am told by the Malawi Police Service [MPS] that high impact crime such as robberies and breakings have been on the increase in the first half of 2012 as contrasted with the same period in 2011.
“This is coming when there has been a growing perception in the country that crime is on the increase. However, latest figures I have from MPS indicate that recorded crime nationwide decreased by 18.2 percent from 40 202 criminal incidents between January and June 2011 to 32 883 over the same months in 2012.â€
The President said volumes of crime of concern also reduced from 851 incidents in the first six months of 2011 to 773 during the same period in 2012.
“It is, therefore, my hope this symposium will help to come up with solutions to security problems Malawi is facing since security is a multi-dimensional issue, therefore, it requires a multi-sectoral approach. And without security, no meaningful development can take place in a country,†said Banda.
The President also saluted chiefs for their role in curbing the influx of illegal immigrants.
“From August to September, chiefs with the help of the police, have intercepted 630 [immigrants] who were trying to enter the country illegally through our northern border. It is for this reason that chiefs from Karonga, Chitipa, among others key districts, are at the New State House waiting for a meeting with me on the matter,†said Banda in a rather brief opening of the symposium.
Led by Malawi Defence Force, the one day symposium drew government officials from different ministries and departments, the academia, the private sector, civil society groups, media, officials from government security organs, public and State security and also private security companies.
