Court injunction against removal of Atupele billboard
An injunction that concerned citizens in Blantyre obtained Monday night against the removal of Atupele Muluzi placard has saved possible bloodshed in Malawi’s commercial city of Blantyre as clashes between Blantyre City Council and Malawi Police Services on one hand and UDF followers on the other.
The billboard is wooing voters to choose UDF Presidential Candidate Atupele Muluzi in the May 20 Tripartite elections and is strategically placed at the Mozambiquan club near the Kamuzu Stadium round about.
But its presence seem to have irked the government which through its other state agents has been on the neck of the Council Management. 
With the campaign just in its maiden stages and hot, commentators have applauded the UDF for turning to the courts, saying that shows some sense of maturity.
“That is the best approach otherwise going physical with the other party could have culminated into another Goliati and dent the image of the party and the nation, and even scare away voters,” said a Zingwangwa resident Tuesday.
Authorities failed to get the UDF billboard removed Sunday as it was deemed a volatile day since the party was holding a launch of manifesto and campaign at Njamba Park.
The party had placed security agents at the site who were getting their meal packs right at the site. Day time the party engaged more than 30 who vowed to deal with anyone coming to tamper with their billboard.
National Deputy Youth Director, Andrew Nkhana who was at the site said that as a party they were not prepared to go physical but would at the same time not let someone act in a wrong way in removing their party President’s billboard.
On the other hand the Council had Monday evening regrouped ready for the removal of the billboard and any possible consequences. They hired more police officers from the armed PMF B Company.
The council has been under pressure from governing People’s Party to remove the bill board.
Meanwhile, UDF has erected more bill boards across the country, with one in Zomba, Balaka at Chingeni and said by weekend will have one in Lilongwe and Mzuzu.
The general citizenry has accused the Peoples Party for hiding behind the council to bring confusion in the otherwise free electoral battle.
“They want to destabilize the nation by provoking other parties so that people should be thinking that the other parties are fighting the PP yet the opposite is true, “claimed the resident.
Acting Chief Exceutive Officer for Blantyre City Council who is also the Director of Town Planning Costly Chanza could not pick up his phone on several occasions when he was being called.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :