Chilima condemns riots, shops looting

June 21, 2019 Owen Khamula - Nyasa Times 24 Comments

UTM Party president Saulos Chilima has condemned in strongest terms the riots and looting of shops that accompanied the peaceful protests on Thursday aimed at forcing the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah and the whole commission to resign.

Chilima: Peoples protests should be peaceful

Some protesters in Blantyre tore down and burned billboards showing President Peter Mutharika, who narrowly won a second term. While in Mzuzu they looted shops and in Lilongwe damaged some property including at Parliament and seriously injured two police officers.

“I want to emphasize that violence has never not shall it ever resolve matters of national concern.

“ UTM as an entity believes in peace; we shall therefore continue to advocate for peaceful demonstrations because to us, coming out to go on the streets alone, speaks louder,” says Chilima.

Chilima, immediate past vice-president,  therefore urged law enforcers to do their job in preventing this from happening again.

The UTM leader  and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera participated in the demonstrations in Lilongwe as well as former First Gentleman Richard Banda.

Chilima described those involved in the riots and looting as unruly citizens who wanted to cash in on the demonstrations and vandalized both private and public property.

He then called on UTM members, other political party supporters and all well-wishers and people of goodwill to observe peace during such demonstrations and refrain from taking advantage of the same to engage in criminal activities.

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24 replies on “Chilima condemns riots, shops looting”

  1. Chilima showing, once again, his naivete bordering on stupidity, if he and his boss oChakwera could not have anticipated these offshoots of their poorly thought out demos. Chilima’s criticism of his followers is meaningless.
    Both Chilima and oChakwera should put their feet in the shoes of the victims whose property was vandalized and stolen! How would these two feel if they were actually the victims?
    So far, Malawi Police have been tolerant; perhaps too tolerant. And they must be commended to the hilt.

  2. Chakwela, chilima all stupid fools, what did they expect? Since when did mcp ever do anything peaceful? Blood shading is all they ever know

  4. Don’t sweat a thing my man SKC. There is always collateral damage. I know kuti bwana mwakomentela swag. You did’t have to.

  5. was he not aware of the consequencies,what about the intention of choosing 20th June,when the date 20th was linked with violence before.Mr VP, Opuma,reason maturely

  6. Indeed one cannot dispute the fact that Chilima and Chakwrera are becoming warlords. Eventually the two of you will loose value in the society and come 2024 you will as well definately fail.If people are looting shops, banks among others which means they will loose jobs because they will close their businesses in the process.Is this ending poverty you were preaching a couple of months ago? Shameless leaders mind what you preach.Acceptance is the first step of overcoming any sort of consenquences of misfortune.Why can you not accept that you lost and move forward.

  7. Typical of Northerners no wonder uou have nothing to contribute and you cant even give us a proper presidential candidates.Mbuli za anthu .No nkhalo demo means to protest osati kuba.Mxii

  9. Anthu a ku Mzuzu ndinu zitsieubkwambiri mukutiongera mbiri ife a UTM .We agreed kuti the March shud be peaceful inu mukukaphwanya ma sitolo pali nzeru pamenepa.Atumbuka simuzatheka ndinu anthu ozikonda kwambiri

  10. We tild you vipani va mwazi. If the court calls a rerun of polls,believe you me,these thugs will loose heavely. Mfiti va nyau ivi

  11. Well done Leader, others don’t know the difference between demonstration & violence. Chilima urged people to demonstrate cos is a constitutional rights of the people BUT violence & looting that is a different story. People need to demonstrate as long as they feel a need for demonstrations.

  12. Kodi Chilima akamati a police agwire ntchito yawo akutanthauza achite bwanji? If indeed those are violent criminals, how must Police handle such elements….teargas ayi, rubber bullets ayi, kuombela kulikonse ayi nde mukuti azitani? I propose a Police azingoyang’ana chifukwa zotsatila zake ena azizanena kuti nkhanza pa ma demonstrators. This is exactly what happened in Mzuzu. I hate certain aspects of democracy.

  13. Chilima is not serious in his condemnation of the lootng and destroying of property. You dont use inflammatory langauge urging people to go in the streets and vent their anger. What i do

  14. Yesterday you encouraged the demonstrations and today you are condemning the only known outcome of the demos. Encourage and later condemn isn’t wisdom…apm is much better in that respect

  15. Bambo Chilima when one is protesting it means they are aggrieved and grief is associated with anger. Therefore you cannot guarantee total peace during a demonstration. In Malawi people believe that if you don’t act you are stupid and nobody takes you seriously. What has happened is part of the demonstration.

  17. Rubbish. Protests in the world have never been peaceful. Its unrealistic for the frustrated Chilima to condemn violence as if he was ignorant of its outcome. Kupepera basi. Tsopano ma shop mwaphwanyawo atalipire ndani? Osangovomereza bwanji kuti munagonja apamukuwathandiza amfumu kuledzera.

  18. There is looting from Foreign banks standard Bank and nedbank, they are depreciating kwacha everyday, they have no feelings for malawians. why are these foreign banks allowed to operate in malawi

  19. If there is one guy that will make Malawi to rot to the waste, its you Chilima ,you started very well but with time people are loosing interest in you.You encouraged people to march in the streets to show there anger,but you forget one thing that most people here in Malawi dont know the meaning of peaceful demostration .Most Malawians do not draw a red line between demostrations and rooting of other peoples property .You think you know Malawi better than anyone else ,but your acts and talking clearly shows you dont know Malawians.Today if you are a true Malawian go and cheer those Police officers who are battling with there lives in hospitals .If the family members of these police officers injured were your supporters ,You think these people will support you any more ? the owners of properties destroyed in Mzuzu ,if they were your supporters ,you think they will support you any more.Calculate your moves well if not forget about rulling Malawi my friend .Any leader who insight violence has no space in this country.Malawians are peace loving ,what you are doing if you dont change forget even getting 1 million votes in 2024 .

    1. I, my wife and our four children have actually withdrawn our support for Chilima. He is now associating himself with hooligans in the name of MCP. I regret voting for you.

  20. Tears of a Crocodile KAPENA KULIRA KWA MFITI. From Heavy NOVENA to WARLORD!!! Kodi CAMOUFLADGED TROUSERS YO MUMAVALIRA CHIANI? YOU and your Colleagues MUST PAY FOR THE MESS. NO DISCUSSIONS ON THIS and NO MERCY FROM GoM. PERIOD

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