DPP cadres beat up Zodiak cameraman Chapita as Malawi police watch helplessly
The supporters of the erstwhile governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Wednesday bludgeoned cameraman for privately-owned Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) in full view of the police at Lilongwe Magistrate Court.
The cameraman, David Chapita, was in company of his workmate, John Paul Kayuni, when the incident happened.
Chapita and Kayuni were covering the court appearance of Norman Chisale, chief security aide to immediate former President Peter Mutharika, who is being accused of involvement in the importation of cement using Mutharika’s taxpayer’s identification number (TPIN).
Kayuni has just reported to his boss, Gabriel Kamlomo, a few minutes ago that Chapita was beaten upon arrival at the court this afternoon.
“Upon arrival at the court premises, just soon after getting out of the car, we were met by DPP and UDF supporters who were outside the perimeter fence. Before we went into the fence, theses supporters started attacking my cameraperson. He was heavily beaten by these supporters,” he said.
Kayuni said he can confidently tell that the attackers were DPP and UDF supporters because they put on their respective party colours when they executed their attack.
“Some of them were wearing masks with UDF cloth. So, it was quite difficult for me to read the situation. So, I had to make sure that I am safe,” he said.
Kayuni said he could not make out what could be the reason behind the attack on innocent journalists.
But writing on his Facebook wall, the reporter says the attack reminds of how unsafe journalists are in Malawi.
The Media Institute for Southern Africa (MISA-Malawi) chairperson, Teresa Ndanga, has condemned the attack, describing it as barbaric.
Question to the IG. What have you done about this issue to date? We are waiting for your answer. Apo ayi sanzikani kwa appointing authority muzipita ku Embassy kuja amakutumizani a DPP. Please we do not want anyone sleeping on the job!!!
Good wave DPP chobwenzera kuwawa
The bad dpp is still around? Police please finish them off. Fish them out. They are criminals.
And their secretary general gerezedala has the balls to write His Excellency oLaza asking for leniency? Anthuwa ndi mfitidi ofunika kuwachotsa ufiti basi akagwidwa azitsekeredwa zaka zambiri to deter other would be attackers! Ndale zomenya atola nkhani zithe anthuwa akagwidwa akakhaleko zaka 10 ku Zomba maximum prison
There is a big problems here.The big problem is that the Police is full of cadets.If this can not be checked out,we are in deep trouble in Malawi.This new Government has to wake us from slumber and quickly restructure all government institutions because DPP has already planted their dangerous agents in all almost government institutions including the army.Watch out!
And see police of malaw just standing while someone is been beaten I will never give respect to Malawi police especially those who stop on the road stealing from us stupid them zima ndi wawa mulungu awa Lange a police ose omwe andi bera ndalama pa msewu…..
DPP is a system ma Cadet tili ponse ponse and we will ake ur time in power very uncomfortable iweyo Lazaro ndi Zeze mudziwanso….Diso kwa diso😠😣😣
System yokuba, no even manyazi, kupepela
Good that police just watched. Real people are suffering without proper and timely justice when the police are used for political persecution
Smoke them out
Please lock them up in Nsanje Prison for them to get the taste of uzuzu and throw away the keys
Malawi government please stop this criminal elements. Please do something that people will learn that you do not just wake up and beat or insult someone. We voted against this and our votes count.
Zoti anthu azimenyedwa while police officers are there is a stupid behaviour.This is not DPP time, apolice ngat mwatopa kugwira ntchito osapanga retire bwanji,zithe zopusazi.Ngati muli a dpp Kaya UDF mukapeze dziko lina lopangira violence.Mudzawona posiyira.Mumange onse involved,muvi woyang’anira umagweradi maso.Tonse alliance government muyione bwino nkhani yi.Dpp supporters should not make Malawi ungovernable.Their supporters are few.
The police were there and did nothing! In this wa of change fire the IG for incompetence this cannot be tolerated unless the perpetrators were pretenders outing on eh DPP regalia
I think ma positions ena ku polisiku need to be changed coz they are still operating under dpp government. Why were the police just watching, why was Norman Chisale controlling some police officers by ordering them what to do. Panopa ofunika kuthothola nyasi zonse coz akusokoneza security ya dziko ndipo muyikidwemo anthu a chilunga posatengera chigawo chimene achokera
So this useless Police is still scared of the Cadets???
It’s difficult to imagine a stupider thing a party out of power in Malawi can possibly do. Now they’ll see what shove the guinea fowl’s head …
Arrest them and fire the police cadets supported them.
Kodi akuwonetsabe life yojaila ija ?ma cadet apa muyiziwa NYekhwe zenizeni
Tikuwonerani we are watching u abusa nepotism
Munya muona tithana nanu olo tili ku opposition
Uthana nda Amako mbolo iwe
Inutu inu palibe mukudziwa inu, kkkkk.Simudziwanso kuti dziko ilili muliva kuwawa.Mudaikanika kuimaliza Congress za zaka 26 muli mboma ndiye pano muli Ku opposition.Kaya ndikukayika mbale ndipo zoti mudzaithenso ndakaika.Zoti MCP has got very screct strong para military wing simuzidziwa inu?Mungozuzitsa ana zaziii.Do u know that it’s only MCP which has survived of all former ruling parties from colonialism in Africa.Ndiye udzifuse.Why MCP bounce back after 26 yrs from opposition while other former colonial ruling parties has completely gone after leaving government.MCP is more sophiscated political parties.Do u know that it’s only MCP ANC which have strong para military wing in Africa?People talked this and that,MCP will never rule again.APM even decrared over his dead body for MCP to rule again.U even don’t know where the most trained MYPs who fred to Mozambique thr Msundwe root 27 yrs ago at average of 20 yrs..Even if u can organise itself to try to fight that group u can not manage to defeat them.Even the army can not manage.Amangosungirani ulemu.Even our army knows that.If u really wanted to finish MCP,,u would have really cooperate with Mozambique to finish up Renamo.Open your eye, u fool.
Kulira ndi mtima and some people lying so low to be paid K5,000 each in order to attack innocent civilians 🥶💰🇲🇼
You mean to say that the police were eyewitnesses to the incident? These police officers must be remnants of the DPP cadets in the police service. Apart from arresting the cadets, the police officers should be disciplined. Days of police kow-towing to DPP cadets are over, for goodness’s sake! We’re in a new era ( or so I thought).
True, this should be a litmus test for Hon. Chimwendo Banda to exercise his authority on the police officers who were yesterday.
So what next after condemning the attack? Those police officers who were watching a cameraman being manhandled are not trained police officers, they must be the cadets that were planted by the DPP during their horrific time. Something must happen. The cameraman should have filmed them for identification as part of his evidence.
These beatings will remain if the cadets in the police system are not delt with. The previous government was posting well meaning policemen and women or those deemed sympathetic to the opposition in remote areas and the cadets were the ones who were left in towns and districts. This government should immediately bring back police officers posted in remote areas and post the cadets to remote areas if we are to solve this problem. The removal of the top cadet Mwapansa will be meaningless if his henchmen are left at the heart of policing and expect nothing good to come from the cadetish police officers.
those police officers who were on duty and did nothing to protect the journalist, must be disciplined or transfered to remotest area of malawi. azikagwira anthu ootcha makala
Ndiye atamumenya choncho anawagaira ndalama zingati pakuti Mr. Chisale ma deal awo ndi ama Billion. My second question is, after beating the Cameraman did the Police release Norman Chisale or he is still behind the bars? Lamulo limaposa mphamvu.
Why didn’t the police arrest these thugs? Do they know their duties or what?
Bafoons, vagabonds uneducated fools. I knew udf will be there. They support violence
They must be arrested, quickly
Uku nde kudeleratu
That’s the price for losing your credibility and independence. Zodiak used to be good but now with Kazako as mcp I stopped tuning in, zikachitika tinvera kwa ena.
Can’t just wrap my head around the conclusion of your non-argument 🤮
Then which TV will you tune in? Another cadet crying
Very unfortunate that zodiak has been captured by politicians. Zodiak should learn from mbc whose staff used to get beaten in mponela the opposition stronghold. Next time zodiak better send freelance journalists to cover high profile opposition cases especially now the managing director of zodiak gospel Kazako is also mcp politician
They still think the imbecile Mutharika is in power! How can president allow this magnitude of rooting of our hard-earned taxes under his nose?
inu a DPP, Simunati munya. Kuba konse mumabaku angokusiyani? It is not witch hunting. You deserve all you will get and the sooner the better.Ndiponso by the time we finish with you, kachipani kanuko katha cifukwa cifukwa all your so called leaders will be locked up!!!
Yes make chulu is gone and ngumbizi don’t know this 🤣💪🏾🇲🇼
We have lots of cadets in our police and you dont expect them to defend the people.
Govt must embark on transfers in all police stations and bring in sanity.During dpp regime ,recruitment was based on lomwe people in the police.Drain the swamp please.