Arrested Wandale  ‘out of his mind’: Malawi tea estate land grab leader claims to be  ‘head of state’

Controversial Vincent Wandale, who claims to be the supreme leader, founder and trustee of People’s Land Organisation (PLO),  is under arrest for allegedly inciting people of Mulanje and Thyolo to start grabbing land belonging to  tea estates investors.

The land they wanted to share belongs to Naming’oma, Makwasa, Henderson Farm and also Chitakale and Limbuli estates in Mulanje.

Police arrested 16 members of PLO on Thursday afater chaor in Thyolo but could not pick Wandale who was not amongst the villagers.

However, Police picked Wandale on Saturday and rocked him up in Lilongwe.

Wandale who declared  Thyolo and Mulanje districts as an independent State known as African Traditionalists Republic of the United States of Thyolo and Mulanje, confirmed he is under arrest.

“Yes indeed I am under arrest. I ‘m in police custody in Lilongwe,” he said.

Wandale, who works for Lilongwe Agricultural Development Division (Ladd) as acting chief agricultural extension officer responsible for Lilongwe, Dedza and Ntcheu districts, claimed he is a Head of State and has immunity from arrests.

“As a head of sate I’m under immunity [from arrests] by the Vienna Convention. As an act happening  after issuing a declaration of war [land grab], I am a prisoner pf war,” he stated.

But government spokesperson Patricia Kaliati, who is an MP in Mulanje trashed Wandale, saying he is  clearly “out of his mind.”

She said Wandale has no mandate to distribute the land.

“That group has no mandate to distribute land. They are opening jail gates for themselves,” said Kaliati.

Kaliati observed that it would appear Wandale wants government to prosecute him to achieve fame, martyrdom and popularity.

Wandale has been advocating for the declaration of Thyolo and Mulanje to become a sovereign State allegedly because government has failed to repossess idle land owned by settlers on tea estates and allot the same to indigenous Malawians.

He said  “it is not fair” for Malawi government to arrest him and 16 members of PLO  because “they are claiming their land currently possessed by foreigners” and that he will lodge a complaint at the International Court of Justice against foreign aggression.