Wandale to address people, set date for setting his ‘government’
Self-styled supreme leader of People’s Land Organisation (PLO), Vincent Wandale, is today set to address people in Thyolo to, among others, set the date for the swearing-in ceremony for his ‘government’ covering the so-called independent States of Thyolo and Mulanje.
Through his Facebook page, Wandale said the meeting will start at 11am at Khonjeni Turn-off.
He said in an interview later that the meeting will plan the swearing-in of Must president, deputy president, Cabinet, head of Judiciary and head of the Legislature.
On whether his action will not be taken as provocation as the said jurisdictions are within Malawi, Wandale said his ‘government’ was ready to protect itself.
He said: “This is our country. It is a sovereign State and any intervention will be taken as interference and we will defend ourselves. We have discussed this issue in several avenues with the Malawi Government and they are aware we declared ourselves a sovereign State in 2015. We could have done this a long time ago but politics has been coming our way, but this time around we will not relent to any pressure.”
Wandale is currently answering charges of obtaining money by false pretence and was last November given an 18-month suspended sentence following his conviction on three counts of conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor, unauthorised use of land and criminal trespass.
However, in May this year, the High Court in Blantyre acquitted Wandale on two counts of conspiracy to commit a misdemeanour and criminal trespass.
High Court Judge Sylvester Kalembera quashed the convictions in count one and three and set aside the sentences.
The judge said the lower court erred in convicting Wandale on the offence of conspiracy to commit an offence when in totality of the evidence before the court did not establish or prove the offence. He quashed the appellant’s conviction under count one and set aside the sentence therein.
Wandale’s arrest on September 3 2016 in Lilongwe followed an incident that happened on September 1 at Conforzi Tea Estate where hundreds of villagers invaded the estate and started sharing land for permanent settlement and cultivation. They claimed the land belonged to their forefathers.
Wandale declared the two districts of Thyolo and Mulanje a sovereign State called United States of Mulanje and Thyolo (Must) in March 2016 following what they call failure by the Malawi government to act on their protracted wrangle with estate owners who they claimed grabbed land from their ancestors leaving them landless. n
Is this guy on drugs?
What is wrong with this country? The bloodsuckers hoax was trending yesterday and today it’s Wandale. What are we doing to this country? Are you telling me that the authorities are just dormant when he makes such mischievous remarks. I know we all have rights, but this is beyond recognition of rights. His right to speech needs to be limited, he’s manipulating those poor souls in these districts to believe his madness to be true. His can a country develop with people like him confusing the already myopic minds of our people in the villages. Is this what’s left of the freedom that Reverend Chilembwe fought for? I think limitation or incarceration of Mr. Madman Wandale is a necessary evil for the good of this country. What sort of a learned man is he that spreads conjecture, fallacy? I am pretty sure he’s one those pot bellied men spreading rumours about the presence of vampires in Mulanje.
You that take yourself to be law scholars with vibrant intellectual mind. Speak something tangible as always when it comes to politics on how we can twist the law to create a crime if there’s non that our courts can use to rid us of such myopic, self centered propagandist Wandale’s. We are tired of men like him. With the way things have turned out after multiparty democracy most us prefer the Kamuzu state at least then We were disciplined.Is this guy on drugs?
What is wrong with this country? The bloodsuckers hoax was trending yesterday and today it’s Wandale. What are we doing to this country? Are you telling me that the authorities are just dormant when he makes such mischievous remarks. I know we all have rights, but this is beyond recognition of rights. His right to speech needs to be limited, he’s manipulating those poor souls in these districts to believe his madness to be true. His can a country develop with people like him confusing the already myopic minds of our people in the villages. Is this what’s left of the freedom that Reverend Chilembwe fought for? I think limitation or incarceration of Mr. Madman Wandale is a necessary evil for the good of this country. What sort of a learned man is he that spreads conjecture, fallacy? I am pretty sure he’s one those pot bellied men spreading rumours about the presence of vampires in Mulanje.
You that take yourself to be law scholars with vibrant intellectual mind. Speak something tangible as always when it comes to politics on how we can twist the law to create a crime if there’s non that our courts can use to rid us of such myopic, self centered propagandist Wandale’s. We are tired of men like him. With the way things have turned out after multiparty democracy most us prefer the Kamuzu state at least then We were disciplined.
So when the president tours the affected districts with vampires? There will be two presidents in one state. Now I recommend the movie ‘purge anarchy’ to Malawi. I think we should just purge the likes of Wandale’s.