Msundwe case still haunts police
Police Independent Complaints Commission (ICC) says it received queries from international human rights bodies over the alleged rape of civilian women around Msundwe in Lilongwe by suspected police officers during post-election protests in 2019.
ICC commissioner Christopher Tukula told the Legal Affairs Committee of Parliament that the international bodies have since questioned the Malawi Police Service’s legitimacy in peacekeeping missions in other countries.
He said institutions such as the United Nations are interested to see the matter investigated and concluded so that the police image is cleared.
Said Tukula: “When the Msundwe allegations emerged, it put a dent on the record of the Malawi Police.
“Stakeholders started questioning the ability or the legitimacy of taking the Malawi Police officers to vulnerable areas where women and children need to be protected.”
Currently, there are conflicting reports on the police rape allegations with a Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) report having substantiated the allegations while a police report cleared police officers of any wrong doing.
The ICC was entrusted with the task of carrying out fresh investigations on the rape and physical assault allegations, but efforts to carry out the probe faced financial challenges.
ICC estimates that it will cost K65 million to investigate the case and last year, the commission requested funding for the same but instead, Treasury trimmed ICC’s investigations budget by K43 million, from K96 million.
But Tukula lamented that the reduction and failure to allocate specific funding for the Msundwe case affected the commission’s efforts to carry out the investigation.
In his remarks, committee chairperson Albert Mbawala expressed worry that there is no progress on the Msundwe case.
He said the committee will push to have the matter resolved so that people’ trust in the police is restored.
During the post-2019 Tripartite Elections protests, Police allegedly went on the rampage around Msundwe, Mpingu and Mbwatalika trading centres on the outskirts of Lilongwe City following the brutal murder of their colleague, Suwedi Iman, who was stoned by residents.
In its investigation, MHRC found that police engaged in arbitrary arrests, beatings and rape of the victims.
Some women were allegedly raped and physically assaulted after their husbands and other male relations fled the scene.
The Women Lawyers Association then took the matter to court, which ruled that the women be compensated. Government compensated the women.
However, there were still demands that officers who were involved be prosecuted.
