Chilima condemns riots, shops looting

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.

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.