Karonga MP Mwenefumbo complains of gun proliferation, blames refugees: Minister Chiumia ‘to do research’
Member of Parliament for Karonga Central, Frank Tumpale Mwenefubo has asked Ministry of Home Affairs and Internal Security to seriously look into illicit firearms that are smuggled in the country and mostly smuggled through border district of Karonga.
Mwenefumbo raised the issue in Parliament on Tuesday.
He asked Minister of Home Affairs and Internal Security, Grace Chiumia on what she is doing about the issue of gun proliferation that has been rampant in Karonga District .
Mwenefumbo said guns tare being sold and bought “at a price of tomato by our refugees there, mostly from Somalia and Eritrea.”
He wanted the Minister to assure the citizens of Karonga that “ as we go to the Christmas festivals that their lives and property will be secure and safe.”
Government wanted to relocated refugees camp from Dzaleka in Dowa to Katili in Karonga but residents in the northern border district have resisted the move.
Chiumia said she would like to do “a survey”on the gun proliferation, saying her ministry do not have much information regarding the matter in Karonga.
“ But my assurance to the people of Karonga and the whole nation is that as a country, we are taking serious measures to make sure that our people are secure in this country,” said Chiumia.
On the issue of refugees from Somalia and others perpetraring gun violence, Chiumia said she wants to do “a proper research because sometimes we might allege that refugees are perpetrators yet we are the same people who are working with them.”
The Minister said she would want to find out all the details “since I do not want to point fingers at the refugees only, while our people are also involved.”
Meanwhile, Chiumia told the House that government has procured 100 vehicles for the Malawi Police Service in an effort to boost security in the country.
Chiumia said all the procurement processes have already been finalised and that the vehicles will be arriving in the country in December 2016.
The announcement drew pleas from a number of MPs, who asked the minister to consider [police] stations and/or units located in their areas when distributing the vehicles.
But Chiumia stated that the list of the beneficiary stations and units has already been drawn.
“I will provide you with that list at a later stage,” she said.
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I strongly dispute the allegation made by the Karonga MP Mr.Mwenefumbo that refugees bring guns into Malawi.The fact that refugees run away from guns in their own countries,how would they risk their lives in the country of refuge? These guns are home-obtained let’s admit this fact.Afterall,it would be very difficult for a refugee from Ethiopia,Somalia,Rwanda,Burundi or Congo to smuggle guns from such long distance places.If the government is vehement enough,it could discover that the guns are evolving within the country by the starving Police officers or even the soldiers who are lowly paid to feed their families.Mr.Mwenefumbo could be asking… Read more »
Winston, you have missed the point in your argument. Mwenefumbo comes from Karonga and is an MP there. I come from Karonga and whatever he contributes in the parliament are our concerns. Why should he complain about Indians, Pakistanis and the others as if they are in Karonga? If that is the problem in your home district why not channel it through your MP? Argue like an educated man.
Walowa Ganyu kwa ma Burundi aku Lilongwe amene safunako change of refugee camp
Good response from the minister…people of karonga district benefit alot from those refugees.tisamalowese ndale paliponse. if I were mwenefumbo I would have reported something on how the businessmen of karonga (the stinking bastards) kill innocent people for rituals.
You are very foolish!! The fact that you don’t come from Karonga doesn’t mean you hate someone’s concerns who come from there. If you love refugees as your brothers and benefit from them, why not tell the minister to relocate them to your home district. Ndiwe wamutu wamakona iwe!! Munthu akuchoka ku Karonga konko and he is complaining about the refugees, iwe chitsiru umachoka kwena ukumutsutsa, zigwirizana. Which benefit can Karonga people benefit from the refugees? Guns? Umakudziwa ku Karonga iwe?? You are foolish.