Six in for stoning Chakwera’s convoy
Six people were arrested in the wee hours of Thursday at Nkhate Trading Centre in Chikwawa District in connection with the stoning of the presidential motorcade on September 12.
National Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya confirmed the arrests yesterday, saying they were a result of an intelligence operation in the area.
He said: “The suspects are John Benford Dumba, 35, Solomon Napoli, 38, Madalitso Joseph, 20, and Khama Matiki, 40, all from Thawani Village in Traditional Authority (T/A) Mphuka in Thyolo District, Funsani Tepero, 23, from Chikhaza Village in Senior Chief Makhuwira in Chikwawa District, and Raphael Patrick, 25, from Mwiza Village, Senior Chief Makhuwira, Chikwawa District.”
According to Kalaya, the six were taken to Chikwawa First Grade Magistrate’s Court where they denied charges of unlawful wounding and malicious damage, and they will return to court on October 7 2024.
Sub-Traditional Authority Chiputula confirmed that some of his subjects have been arrested in connection with the incident, and are still in police custody.
Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation executive director Michael Kaiyatsa has since commended the police for arresting the suspected perpetrators “so that they can have justice and be held accountable”.
But he has challenged police to act professionally by also bringing to justice those suspected to have ignited the fracas.
Also weighing in on the matter, political commentator George Phiri while commending the police for the arrests, wondered why they were not made on the day considering the President’s huge security detail.
The incident occurred at Nkhate and Livunzu trading centres as the President returned from Fatima in Nsanje District where he visited Makhanga Primary School, Makhanga Community Day Secondary School and Osiyana Health Centre, among other places.
Sources said the fracas started after suspected Malawi Congress Party (MCP) youths pulled down Democratic Progressive Party and United Democratic Front (UDF) flags.
They also claimed that the suspected MCP youths beat up Nsanje North constituency Ruo Ward councillor Maliko Molotali Symon (UDF) for allegedly insulting President Chakwera at Makhanga CDSS, and that Symon was rescued by MCP national publicity Jessie Kabwila.
