CSOs blame Malawi police for shop break ins, looting during peoples protests

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) under the banner of Human Rights Defenders Coalition officials (HRDC) have condemned the property damage and looting that followed the peaceful demonstrations and accused the police of deploying a few law enforcers on the road to enforce law and order.

Police vehicle scatter protestors at Capital Hill
Mtambo (2ndL) with other CSOs activitist during the mass protests

HRDC chairperson Timothy Mtambo said the property damage which included shop break ins and looting were done by hooligans who hijacked the peaceful event.

He said it was however surprising that law enforcers who accompanied the marchers were just a few of them compared to other organized peaceful protests in the past.

“The provision of the number of the law enforcers during the protests raises a number of questions,” said Mtambo, saying in Lilongwe, the police provided just 15 of them against thousands of protesters.

He said during meetings, the police were informed that the turn-out of the protesters would be overwhelming.

“Surprisingly, the police who were with us, did not enforce law and order and just watched as hooligans damaged property,” said Mtambo.

Mtambo’s comment come at a time when Malawians on social media platforms allege the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) cadets were sent to masquerade as protesters but turned to be hooligans to discredit the peaceful democratic protests.

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Sam Banda
Sam Banda
4 years ago

Do not soil the name of Malawi Police, one of the few remaining institutions in the country who are not corrupt.

Joloza
4 years ago

That is being unrealistic. When shall we learn to take responsibility for our actions. Why are we always finding someone to blame for our own faults and actions? How can we improve our lives if we are always giving excuses for our faults and failures? How are DPP cadets coming into the scene? The violence was the act of people demonstrating. In this case MCP and UTM. It is not good to always find someone to blame. CSOs are blaming police and another is blaming DPP cadets. Who is responsible for looting now? Kuganiza kumeneku Malawi sangapite patsogolo. Munthu ukalakwitsa… Read more »

Drogba
4 years ago

Pathetic Malawi CSOs who behave more as political parties than Human Rights defenders. What could you have said if these demonstrations were heavily guarded by the police? You could be saying “this is a police state and many people didn’t come to demonstrate because they were afraid of police”. Today the police gave you freedom to demonstrate and you failed to fully educate your followers on meaning of demonstrations and they go around breaking other people’s properties and stealing and injuring innocent citizens, you’re whining. What do you want the state to do? Why can’t you just accept it that… Read more »

Kaitano
Kaitano
4 years ago

I have just forgot the name of someone here, he said the DPP cadets are joining this demonstration by putting the same uniforms of MCP and UTM just to disturb the demonstration, and he said please be alert, don’t say I didn’t tell you, so I belive what he said was true, that is why the police were just watching them breaking shopso, ,, tikamati anthuwa ndi mbava, inu mumatsutsa, ngakhale mmaiko akunja kuno amene amaveka kuti agwidwa aMalawi akuthyola nyamma za anthu, anthu ake amakhala ambali zimenezo, like son like father.

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