Mutharika blasts Chakwera over ‘primitive politics of violence’, ordering mob to kill

President Peter Mutharika has condemned Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera of promoting violent attacks  that he wanted to turn the country into a lawless society by ordering some of his followers to catch and kill innocent people who are rumoured to be collecting National IDs.

Recently, Chakwera called for  citizen arrests of people  going around the community demanding national identity cards in exchange for loans.

He said  people should not wait for the police or government to defend the people’s birthright because none of them has done anything to stop the criminals.

“So from now on, everywhere these criminals arrive to offer us money in exchange for national IDs, we must send them a clear message that our citizenship is not for sale,” Chakwera  said.

But in his special address to the nation on Tuesday, Mutharika said MCP leader is encouraging acts of violence against members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in the Central Region – the  political stronghold of MCP – who have had their houses torched and their property destroyed.

“The aim of this campaign of violence is to intimidate DPP members from organizing their people to register for the election,” said Mutharika.

He bemoaned that DPP supporters in the Central Region are being turned into refugees in their own country.

“Sadly, my heart is broken to note that Dr. Reverend Lazarus Chakwera is encouraging these acts of violence,” said Mutharika.

“Reverend Chakwera has ordered some of his followers to catch and kill innocent people who are rumoured to be collecting National IDs,” he added.

Mutharika said as “a supposed man of God himself, I want to appeal to Reverend Chakwera’s conscious that we are dealing with God’s people. These people are already distressed with coronavirus.

“We are also dealing with people who have suffered in the violence and destruction of the past few months. Let us love Malawians. Every life is precious.”

President Mutharika said government will not allow mob justice, politics of violence and lawlessness to be the way of doing politics in the country.

He commended the Malawi Police Service for fighting the crimes of mob justice and political violence, saying so far  158 suspected criminals have been arrested.