Malawi army, police clash with defiant prison warders on strike
There ha sbeen running battles at prisons facilities in Blantyre, Zomba and Mzuzu where the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers and Malawi police are fighting with the striking prison officers have blocked the roads leading to the prison.
However, at Maula Prison in Lilongwe the situation has been calm.
The junior prison officers who have been holding their sit-in strike since Thursday are demanding for promotions, general welfare and their inclusion in the National Response to Coronavirus. as it has done with the MDF, Police and Immigration department.
“We receive about 10 to 15 new prisoners every day but they are not even quarantined , we only check their temperature, ” said the Mzuzu prison spokesperson Macbirth Wasambo in an interview.
Wasambo also highlighted that government is yet to honor its decision of pardoning some prisoners to ensure social distance prevention measure.
In Zomba, army soldiers started beating prison officers in order to disperse them.
After managing to disperse them, the soldiers are the ones guarding the prison premises.
The warders warned that they would only resume work once government through the Ministry of Homeland Security responds to their demands dating back to 2017.
“Our colleagues in other security institutions like Malawi Defence Force, Malawi Police Service are promoted every year and I fail to understand why it is so difficult for us,” said one of the warders speaking on condition of anonymity.
“I have worked on the same position for 34 years now and what explanation could be given for such stagnation. What we need now are promotions and not dialogues,” he said.
On the risk allowance, the warders said, just like health workers, they too, are subjected to a group of people who might be infected by the coronavirus.
While government allocated funds to Malawi Defence Force, Malawi Police Service and Immigration Department from the National Response to Coronavirus, prison officer were sidelined, a development that irked the officers and triggered the strike.
Malawi Prison Spokesperson, Chimwemwe Shaba said the prison management would do its best to make sure that the concerns of the warders are addressed so that the situation could to normal.
Malawi Inspectorate of Prisons has recommended the release of 184 inmates but the warders will not release them until their grievances are addressed.
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Mpakana Malawi Army kulowera nkhani ya Prison ? NKHONDO YASOWADI ETI? KODI KU MALINDI BWANJI MUKUWOPA MOZAMBIQUE?
When President choose cadets to lead these security agencies, Ndimomwe zimakhalira, MYP yinatha zinthu zake ndi zomwezo, poor leadership.Anthu omwe amagwira mifuti sibwino Kuti ena azipangidwa favour.Mudzaphetsa anthu.
Young pioneer lelonso ?? Musatinyase. Kumakangovina Nyau uko. Kupusa eti. That evil shit god forbid should be erased from Malawi’s history. Nyasi, mabi.
Dyela la akumupando kutiko mufufuze mupezeka kuti wina wake yemwe sadziwa mkomwe zachitetezo watapa za mbili kwabasi osunga akaidi amaika miyoyo Yao pa chiospyezo
Kikikikiki
Pano akuti all prison warders promoted
Malawi sazatheka ndithu….is that how people get promoted
Very wrong corrupse of government security institution fighting.Army showing cadet unprofessionalism.Warning to MDF and Police cadets follow constutionalism. By the supreme law our constitution created three security institutions.prison service,police service,and Defence forces.They have different mandate,roles and duties.The have derrent legal framework.police Act,Prisons Act and Army Act.Police is not prison prison is not police,Army is not police neither police is Army.A police officer escorts a remanded person or convicted person to prison for prison to keep them.Police or Army can not double their work as police and prison that is unconstitutional.An Army officer is not trained to take statements investigating criminal cases bringing offenders to court.What is all about THESE nonse.something is wrong with our leadership in our security organizations.Let us be care with our senseless emotional actions.We have a CONSTITUTION order of institutions.Like courts cannot be parliament or executive take over parliament making laws.That never happens.workers have right to sit in for their demand to be heard like teachers,health workers have done or civil servants.Do the police or Army beat them.Zero pa 10 Army we are marking you down.No value now.Let us go to court to seek redress prison officers if what the Army and police have done is in accordance with the purpose of our constitution.After all their concern is true they are at risk even than Army or Police like health workers.Malawi is sitting on a bomb.Sorry
Excellent piece Jose. Well written. The Prof of Law has no idea what he is up against.
Eish big up Jose
u very true boss
Ndiye wina akasuma aziti court is biased when it’s clear in the laws. Osakamenya ma nurse ali pa strike as well
Ana achepa mpaka kumenyana okhaokha so manyapala pamenepa adziopa ndani ma prison Warder ndi alonda kapena naonso went to school and training I don’t understand this. So a police wo or Army anatumidwa or chani ? Bwanji sanamenye ma nurses and doctors on strike . Koma boma ili la DPP I totally don’t understand it.
Koma
If you are not careful APM you will end up just like Savimbi
Nanunso apolisi ndi a malawi defence force mukumenya amzanu ngati inuyo zanu zili bwino.Anthu oti nanunso akakukwezani pa udindo ndiye kuti mukudziwana ndi bwana wina wake.Masalary anu ndi omvetsa chisoni ndipo akakhala apolisi ngati adya bwino ndiye kuti agwira private kapena kupempha anthu amagalimoto mukakhala pa road block. A malawi defence force ngakhale mumachita matama koma ndinu anthu omvetsa chisoni.Anachita bwino kukutsisirani ma allowance a ku peace keeping Ku DRC.
I always thought MDF were in a different league. Seeing them being dragged into a muddy tussle with their fellow security personnel is a shame and unbelievable. Especially when they have had their share of the Covid 19 allowances and PPE. All prison officers are asking for is PPE so they can do their jobs safely and you beat them up for it. Just because MDF carry some weapons now they feel they can intimidate everyone? You are being used by the blue machine. Shame on you !
Of course they were in a different league until Nundwe was removed. The new boy is a DPP stooge.
Just promote them.They are Malawians too.Please do not favour police officers and soldiers only everyone is important in the country.Looking after akayidi sichinthu chamasewera.Mwina boma likufuna akayidi onse adzatulitsidwe tsiku lina.Kudzachematu.Treat prison warders with respect they are police officers too.They do have guns and teargas too.
Change is around the corner
Cadet chief Secretary uli kuti ana ako akuphana uku ku mzuzu
The problem of having cadets ST, PS Health, PS DHRMD, Army Commander and cadet IG
Fish rotten from the head!!!
Oops you forgot Zomba maximum Blantyre Lilongwe nkhatabay including mzzu, Koma zandikhudza and sindikumvetsa til now.
The danger of bring political issues on how you manage security agents. I am with Prison Dept, their demands are very reasonable. In fact Police and Prison or Immigration were the first department that could have received Covid-19 Funding not the Army. Just honor their demands pls
This is very sad development leaving the Prisons out and share the money themselves. Let lokk for Malindi people who have been beaten up by Mozambiquan Armed forces due to demarcation issue. Abale athu akhala Khuma Khuma in a country of their own.
MDF guarding prisoners under the Ministry of Home affairs? Is this true? Measuring sunshine using a rain gauge. Koma nyekhwe ilipo
So MDF and MPS after getting their share of the cake feel they have the right to silence others who are asking for theirs????????????
That’s the divide and rule policy. But in the end everyone loses. You can’t be a Richman among the poor. Umphawi amagawana dala
I like this general already………mw defence force izitero
Nawenso ndiwe galu
Simutha miyezi itatu amwene! Kikiki
the warder worked 34 years no promotion, now that’s something, I wonder what kind of self studies have you undertaken to improve your qualifications? masiku ano ku prison they recruit diploma holders or even degree holders that’s why amakupitililani boss. try evening classes and improve your papers. you should also develop good relations with your supervisors because they are the ones who can recommend someone for promotion. also stay away from the strike because your problem requires different approach.
Agree and I wonder if all big men at Army went to private Studies
Your reasoning is just a garbage. Are all the officers in other security agencies promoted based on papers?
Yep. my relative has worked for 35 years’ she now at 60 has retierd.
Has worked with some top official and you know what i mean. knows the govt secrets and has handled sensitive issues. TILL THE RETIREMENT, NOT A SINGLE LEVEL OF PROMOTION.
but we see all these akapanga nao za tippex’ akasunga cisisi cokupha njauji chasow
ma promotion to the PS form kuitanila ma minibus , kukoza ma fone,etc even ma ministerial position.
If today we did some statistics from Muluzi time, we shall find may be less than 20% who had a formal interview due to the fear of our govt to be suspected.
we if its a woman then in most cases has slept with boss boss sane to a man though.
zkomo
Malume katangale adanyanya amene akulandila ma promotions siokhaokha omwe ali ophuzila bwino pa malawi zimatengela ndimmene akugwilila bwino tchito ndi chipani cholamula, komaso ma prison guards samatuluka kukagwila tchito zachipani ayi, ndikovuta kuti athu awa aziganizilidwa pa malawi (politics) but those people they must be considered in anything akugwila tchito yaikulu kusamala ndikuphuzitsa azibale athu muma prison osiyanasiyana.
I think he is just plain stupid. In 34 years he could have tried anything and advanced. Even growing tobacco as a tenant for ADMARC first then his own small farm. I know a lot of semi illiterate people doing well in Kasungu. They started as tenant in Bruce Barrows estate or Press farming
Mfoloma Mwale you must be very stupid. You think education can earn you promotion.
Mugabe style yalowa muona nyekhwe
eeetu kuli Mussa ‘dausi
dzana paja siuja anaktenga Fugitive Chihule kaya alipo koma paja dausi anatiuza zoti fugitiveyu on a diplomaticconvoy and feeding him’giving him a bed over our taxes ati anabwera kogwila nchito ya usiku ya mamuna. Shit
We are really being ruled by a devil. People are politely asking for help and they are being beaten up and killed. Why? Why? Why? Peter. Why are you killing your own people? While others are being beaten, other have been left to Coronavirus to do the job for DPP. Coronavirus is indeed a blessing to DPP to finish off Malawians. They are being beaten for refusing to be infected by Coronavirus.
Iwe waphedwa ndani?