Home | National | Police threatens Makande with arrest

Police threatens Makande with arrest

Font size: Decrease font Enlarge font
Charles Kufa 03 July, 2008 02:45:00
image Makande: Addressing UDF supporters during Muluz whistle stop tour

Malawi police has threatened to arrest opposition UDF deputy secretary general Hophmally Makande over allegations that UDF flouted permission for its head to address whistle stop meetings.

 

Police allowed UDF presidential candidate to hold whistle-stop meetings in the commercial capital, Blantyre and address three meetings in the townships but ended up addressing four stops.

 

Makande had informed the police on  behalf of the party and the law enforces gallowed the opposition to address meetings on three venues.

 

Muluzi ended up addressing crowds at four points after he was impomtly stopped by supporters at unarranged venue.

 "We are going to accuse Makande who sought our police permission of being liable and responsible for violating our orders," said a senior police officer in Blantyre who hinted the arrest of Makande would be effected on Friday.

UDF says Malawi Police officers  are used by President Mutharika to arrest, harass and beat-up UDF members.  

The president has also used trumped up treason charges against the UDF to arrest its leaders. 

“The growing use of the police as a political militia of the President Mutharika’s DPP is a most unfortunate development in the history of our democratic dispensation,” said UDF chairman of national working committee, Harry Thomson. 

UDF said the police should not be used for partisan interests and for the promotion of a particular party but must serve the interests of all Malawians. 

Police carried out politically-motivated acts in collusion with DPP such as violently disrupting a lawful joint UDF and New Republican Party (NRP) public rally on June 1, 2008, at Ndirande Township, demolishing a podium and the constructed shelters, destroying iron sheets, timber, block boards and expensive public address equipment. 

The police  also unlawfully barred the former Head of State, Dr. Muluzi from leaving his private BCA Hill Residence to address that meeting and mounted roadblocks on all roads leading into and within Blantyre. 

On June 8, 2008, the police also damaged a podium and shelter constructed for a re-scheduled meeting that they had given prior approval.  

Police have also stopped scheduled UDF meetings in Blantyre, Mangochi, Lilongwe, Machinga, Liwonde, Bangula, Mulanje, Nchalo, Mzuzu, Chiradzulu, Ntcheu, Kasungu and other places in the past four years. 

Security forces pulled down flags of the UDF in Lilongwe, commanded the beating up of MPs at Parliament during the 2005/6 Budget Session of Parliament.  

On June 24, 2008, the police forcibly evicted staff assigned to the office of the former president, a constitutional office, from their houses and turned the families into instant destitutes, without shelter.  These members of staff are public servants and not private, personal employees of the former president.

“The UDF believes that these actions are based on instructions of President Mutharika. The UDF finds these developments counter-productive to the hard-won freedom and democracy,” said Thomson.

Comments (21 posted):

monda on 03 July, 2008 03:43:38
avatar
Koma ndi ndani angatiuze khalidwe la apulezidenti ali mwana?Mwinatu mavutowa anachokela kuchibwana.

samamva zonena za anthu ena akamapanga.ndikhulupilila pali ena omwe angatiuze kuti makhalidwe awo anali otani?mwina tingawakhulukile mwachangu.zoona nkhani ikhale imodzimodzi?kulephela kuwauza kuti mukalimbana ndi kumtunda muluza ufumu samamva.kaya!ALLAH KNOWS BEST
Nyambitoni on 03 July, 2008 08:07:29
avatar
zoopsyezana ndikumanganadi sizabwino.* only blame the people surrounding the president.What else can Bingu order the police to do with people like Dausi, Ntaba and Mtumodzi around him?this trio is useless.* support Bingu on the socio-economic front but less impressed political wise.komabe chitsulo chanjanji mpakana 2014 WOOOOOOO!
Hardie on 03 July, 2008 08:54:44
avatar
koma monda * think you are a "comment major". commenting on each and every story? and in all cases, makomenti ake very critical of ABINGU. ndi a bingu munayambana chiyani? may ALLAH help you!!
Tithana Ngubane on 03 July, 2008 09:02:20
avatar
Makande is a problem. He decided to defy police orders by holding a mass rally at a venue where he and his Atcheya were not supposed to. When the law takes its cause, some misguided individuals blame the President. When Dr Banda and his MCP were in power, opposition members were tortured and others killed. Some run to far away lands in fear of reprisals. People expected change when Dr Bakili Muluzi was ushered into the office but lo! what did he do with the Young Democrats?. The democratic values were eroded as we welcomed the multi party politics because we had expected the unexpected to happen. in Malawi, it is a criminal offence to be in the opposition as potrayed by Dr Muluzi during his tenure of office. * am of the view that the opposition parties are busy compiling statistics of events against its members by the party in power (DPP) in readiness to revenge when they ascend to power. This is the reason why * hate multi party politics. it is marred by arrests, dismissals, accidents etc.
mike mulumbe on 03 July, 2008 10:16:36
avatar
a silamu tiyeni tisapeleke chithunzithunzi choti UDF ndi ya asilamu okhaokha.zilizonse allah tatani kodi?
Wanyajere on 03 July, 2008 10:51:26
avatar
Violating orders is not to be tolarated and don'* hide in Bingu using police!!

Police go ahaed do your job. Kodi bwanji inu a UDF anytime wina wa inu akamangidwa basi it is political persecution? Nanga enafe? If you are constantly mangidwa that shows how unlawful you are, just change your behaviours. Musatitopese ife.
John Manda on 03 July, 2008 11:02:50
avatar
AYENELA KUMANGIDWA,IYI SIKHANI!MWANA AKAPEPHA K20 TIMAMUPATSA NANGA MALO MWA K20 NDIKUKATENGA K50 SAKWAPULIDWA?
Mike Ndau on 03 July, 2008 11:18:34
avatar
Do you really need to arrest this man? Why can'* you just talk to him and warn him about his short comings. Amapholisa! what'* wrong with you? What are you going achieve?
Nchangani on 03 July, 2008 11:53:26
avatar
My fellow DPP followers, could you please leave out these oppositin people, we are at the tearing wheel. The more we arrest them the more they are becoming popular.

Do you know that there was a time when Muluzi was loosing popularity in this country, but noww he is the most mentioned person on land.

Go through past three months news papers, you will discover that 95% of them are featuring UDF on their front pages.

YENUYELE
Hands Kawoko on 03 July, 2008 01:03:08
avatar
Let us not taste waters to find if they are deep. Muluzi was given permission to stop at three venues and why did he stop at the fourth venue? If * call Muluzi that he is always a stubborn when it comes to follows laws, am * wrong? Not at all. When police tell someone not to do what you are not told to do, they know the consequences of such things. They were prepared to give security at the three venues and not on the fourth. If something had happened at the unsecured venue, what would people say? They failed to provide security because it was an opposition rally, not so? Please let us not politicise everything. Makande should be called and asked why they did not observe what was told by the police.
My caution to police is, at times you are also becoming very over zealous when it comes to arrest the opposition members. Can we say what Gift Mwamondwe at the parliament building was good? Is it because of the silly immunities that these people bestow on themselves tha prevent you police to act? Please try to be very nuetral. Kumbambe, do not be used by someone, do on your own as long as you see, someone has commited a crime, then go, but not just any how. After someone had too much of Gold Label or Kuchekuche, then he sends you to arrest tcheya, bwino nazotu zimenezi. Tcheya sali yekhatu ameneyu, ndiye osamatosa dala kuuna komwe mudziwa kuli njoka.
masoambeta on 03 July, 2008 01:16:17
avatar
There goes the unprofessional and partisan Mutharika Police Force. The question of illegal public gathering is best answered by the purpose of such gathering and the outcome of it before one is sent to prison. If Mutharika Police Force ever knew what they were doing, they would easily request for an official affidavit from UDF, then weigh reasons of such breach of order. As we have not heard of any fracas after the extra stop as per requested, the courts would only caution Makande or fine him as the worst penalty. Refer to the case of Timothy Mangwazu and the MW Police 1994. The Police is usually used as a weapon of torture to opposition parties in lawless countries such as Zimbabwe. This syndrome is prevalent here in Malawi yet we call ourselves a republic. The police must respond as a 21st century force and not pre-colonial slave drivers. Bingu, you will only make Bakili and UDF more popular by such idiocracy. Grow up man!!!
basatani on 03 July, 2008 01:32:48
avatar
Mondatu amapezeka kuti wa commenta yekha yekha on a certain story. Koma politics kubowa bwanji, tsoka nyanja ndi mtunda, luck are those who know their destiny.
Chifundo on 03 July, 2008 02:31:22
avatar
monda, what about your khalidwe? Our president is the best Malawi,
seweza on 03 July, 2008 02:32:20
avatar
Law breakers must not be allowed to walk freely. Apprerhend them. Palibe zandale apa walakwa-walakwa basi. NOBODY should be above the law. Ndiponso sindinu mkuti you are trying to defend the constitution ndiye mukalakwira malamulo akusiyeni?
Chihana on 03 July, 2008 02:45:29
avatar
* think the police are there to discipline people who are sick in the head like Makande let the law take its right cause if you break the law then police have to do there job,because if the police just look at Makande we will be the ones to suffer when the land becomes lawless.Osati zilizonse allah knows best.Monda becareful because Allah will smite u one day,stop mentioning Gods name on silly issues like these.
Palijedi on 03 July, 2008 05:21:03
avatar
Just to say MONDA is my man with his trademark phrase: ALLAH KNOWS BEST! Whatever that means. * understand you dont like Bingu and that is normal. Avoid generalizing your feelings against BINGU. The beauty of our life lies in our diversity.
Phillip Banda on 03 July, 2008 08:37:24
avatar
Zomangana izi mzipeza nkhani yeni yeni, Nanga anthu aja munwamanga nine mu mwezi wa May mlandu yili kuti? Makamaka asilikali atatu aja akuti asapite kuntchito (According to recent report in the Daily Times) achotseni ntchito nanga, osanzunza anthu chonco a Bingu. A Army nanu basi mwangokhala phwii osakanena za anyamata anu atau kuti akunzunzika ndi maganizo. Major general Chiziko what do you say basi mudikila ku khoti, kumeneko kulibe mlandu munapitisa ndinu? UDF pitilizani koma ku Mzuzu and Lilongwe akufuna za MSOKHANO WOYIMITSIDWA NDI WEZULO (Whistle stop)bola zomangana zithe ndithu.
Ritta Nandau on 03 July, 2008 09:40:27
avatar
Musamumange ndi nfana ameneyuuuu
Tony on 03 July, 2008 10:10:33
avatar
The Police are right, Muluzi, Makande and crew are not above the law, the Police should act accordingly regardless of what the pro-UDF reporters will be saying....nthawi yanu yopanga zomwe mukufuna inapita kale kale wake up to reality!!!!!
Chimzy on 04 July, 2008 07:39:39
avatar
when one is given a yard and */he takes a mile that is wrong and this is what the so called UdF guru did and needs to face the consequence. chifukwa if you do nothing to him amadzaona ngati malamulo sagwira ntchito as a result mukhoza kuonanso anyamata awo aja atabwerera
william on 04 July, 2008 03:12:47
avatar
There is nothing strange here anyway, these are the same things Udf under Muluzi were doing.Or have you forgoten the young democrats?Anyway considering most people living the coments here are Udf diehards can you just tell me what this current government is doing that Udf did not do?* believe the way forward for Malawi is for us as Malawians to work together as one we should not let these politicians divide us thats the reason why during Kamuzu time things were just a bit better since we had no choice but to work for his government.Once these greedy politicians realise we are not buying their stories maybe they might start listening and doing the things that we voted them into the office
Post your comment comment
Please enter the code you see in the image:
  • email Email to a friend
  • print Print version
  • Plain text Plain text
Rate this article
2.33