CSOs condemn Mzuzu City Council for issuing notice on mayor’s arrest

Civil society organizations (CSOs) have condemned Mzuzu City Council Chief Executive Officer, Gomezgani Nyasulu, for issuing a notice deemed sympathetic to defilement suspect and the city’s  mayor Gift Desire Nyirenda.

The CSOs, which include Action Hope Malawi, Forum for National Development (FND), Development Concept and Centre for Adolescent and Youth Organization (CAYO), have since given Nyasulu seven days to retract his “insensitive, insidious and injudicious statement and apologies to the victim, her family and entire people of Mzuzu and Malawi.”

Gomezgani Nyasulu

The CSOs argue in their press release issued on Wednesday that the CEO’s statement is an insult to Malawians.

“We the undersigned Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) find the notice from the Mzuzu City Council dated 15 – 08 – 2022 titled ARREST OF MAYOR GIFT DESIRE NYIRENDA, imprudent, insensitive and abhorring especially on the last part of the notice. You cannot be seen to be sympathetic to a person accused of defilement,” reads the press release in part.

They further say for the entire Council to state that their thoughts, prayers are with an accused person of defilement shows that the Council does not recognize the trauma and suffering the victim, who is a minor and the family is going through.

“Looking at the nature and gravity of the offense that Mr. Nyirenda is being accused of, we demand that he resign or be relieved of his role as a Mayor with immediate effect. You cannot have a city father presiding on the affairs of the City while he is accused of defilement and sexual offense, this is not a misdemeanour.

“We are firm believers of rule of law and well aware that every person is innocent until proven by the court of law, but we also are firm defenders of child and people’s rights.

“In this case Mr. Nyirenda is being accused of a gravest crime and the best we can do is to allow the law take its cause and not be sounding as if we are siding with sexual offenders,” thus emphasize the CSOs.

Nyasulu was not immediately available for a comment. Meanwhile, Mayor Nyirenda is set to return to court this Friday for ruling on his bail application.

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