Another petrol bomb at Mtambo’s house, this time at his Chitipa village

Barely says after surviving an apparent assassination attempt when period bombs were thrown at his house in Lilongwe, suspected regime thugs have again petrol-bombed a house for leading human rights activist Timothy Mtambo’s village in Chitipa.

The spate of petrol bombs is believed to be a targeted move to stop mass demonstrations in airports and Malawi ports of entry planned for next week.

Mtambo confirmed on Facebook about the attack which occurred at around 2AM at Ishalikila Village, Traditional Authority Mwabulambia in Chitipa.

“I have just received a report about a petrol bombing incidence at our premises in my village! It was around 2 am. Why are you so heartless? Why are you so evil? What kind of people are you? For how long is Malawi going to continue watching you with your evil acts? This evil and strange and evil culture must be checked and controlled now. Is this the democracy we fought for?

“Malawians, I have a question to you all, are we going to allow our beloved country to degenerate into the state of nature because of few selfish individuals? You the evil people, the God of Justice, is watching you,” he wrote.

The incident comes after three bombs were thrown at the car and home Mtambo, the chairman of Malawi’s Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), and the executive director of the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRC).

He has been organising protests demanding the resignation of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah for allegedly presiding over a fraudulent May elections which saw the incumbent Peter Mutharika returned to office. The results are being contested in the constitutional court.

His grouping are planning  for  fresh protests which will be held at the country’s airports and borders from August 26-30.

On Wednesday, President Peter Mutharika warned the HRDC not to go ahead with the demonstrations and ordered the police and the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) to use “necessary force” to “stop the demonstrations.”

Mtambo told UK newspaper, The Guardian: “We believe that the attacks had been deliberately orchestrated to instil fear in us. They are making a mistake,” he said, adding: “Malawi is our country and we have the responsibility to say if things are going wrong.”

Threatening the organisers will not work, he said. “It will make the situation worse.”