Chakwera demands action to stop rising insecurity in Malawi

Leader of opposition in Parliament Lazarus Chakwera has demanded action from DPP-led government to stop rising insecurity in the country.

Police have reported several armed robberies, murders and car jackings, creating fear and panic among Malawians.

Deputy national police spokeswoman Mable Nsefula said:  “The worrisome development is that the cases of murder are the ones that are on the increase.”

Chakwera, speaking in parliament on Wednesday in  his response to the 2014/15 national budget, called for action to fight rising crime.

“It [insecurity] is increasingly worrisome. People are being hacked to death in their own homes and we have heard a case of a High Court judge being abducted in broad daylight,” said Chakwera, who is also president of Malawi Congress Party (MCP)

“We need action against robbers who are busy terrorizing neighbourhoods and hitting hard on businesses and hard-working citizen,” he added.

President Peter Mutharika told a political rally that he knows information of an underworld crime gang that want to destabilize his administration and said he is considering all options for cracking down on crime in the country.

In the 2014-2015 national budget, currently under review in parliament, the government has more than doubled its allocation to the country’s law enforcement agencies, including local police, to help curb criminal activities.

Chakwera commended Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Development Goodall Gondwe for the substantial increase on the budget to Police and hoped the funds allocated would bring about a difference.