Ugly scenes mar Chakwera tour
Police yesterday fired tear gas to disperse irate people in Chikwawa who threw stones at President Lazarus Chakwera’s motorcade, damaging several vehicles in apparent retaliation for the uprooting of opposition party flags.
Three Police sources confided in The Nation that in the fracas, one police officer sustained serious injuries while two vehicles identified as Toyota Land Cruiser Prados on the presidential convoy had their windscreens damaged.
The sources, who were on the ground, said a State Residences Toyota Coaster, a Ministry of Transport and Public Works truck and a Malawi Congress Party (MCP) vehicle were also damaged in the fracas at Nkhate and Livunzu trading centres.
One source said the situation was calm until some youths clad in MCP regalia reportedly stormed Mkhate and Livunzu along the East Bank of the Shire River, about 15 kilometres from Thabwa on the Chikwawa-Blantyre Road. The youth were reportedly seen uprooting flags of opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) planted by some traders allegedly on the basis that “a President asaone chirichonse cha blue kuno [the President should not see any blue party material this side].”
Another source said the presidential motorcade was also booed at Dyeratu Trading Centre as it headed towards Paramount Chief Lundu’s headquarters.
An eyewitness at Livunzu Trading Centre said: “Several cars got damaged and some people also sustained injuries. Police also arrested some suspects.”
Video clips shared on social media showed some people stoning two vehicles while in another video, people are seen scampering with tear gas shots in the background.
Chikwawa Police Station spokesperson Dickson Matemba and South East Region Police spokesperson Edward Kabango referred The Nation to National Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya.
But Kalaya dismissed suggestions that the presidential convoy was stoned anywhere during the President’s trip in Nsanje and Chikwawa yesterday.
“On the issue of tear gas reportedly fired by police, I have only seen that on social media, but that has nothing to do with the presidential convoy,” he said.
However, a security officer who was on the presidential convoy insisted that two vehicles were damaged in the fracas. The officer also corroborated that in total, about five vehicles were affected.
Commenting on reports that some MCP youth removed DPP flags, MCP spokesperson Jessie Kabwila said she was yet to establish facts about the incident.
On the other hand, presidential press secretary Anthony Kasunda did not pick up when contacted. He also did not respond to texts sent to him via WhatsApp.
Yesterday, the President wound up his four-day tour of Nsanje and Chikwawa which started on Monday. He was operating from Sanjika Palace in Blantyre.
On January 20 this year, the President also had a rude awakening when some mourners on a funeral procession heading to HHI Cemetery in Blantyre obstructed his motorcade, demanding that it should give way to the cortege.
Two people were arrested, but later their case was discontinued after it attracted public attention, including one incident where Ndirande Township residents filled up a courtroom to offer the suspects moral support.
