Malawi opposition leader survives assassination: Regime thugs storm Chakwera’s home

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarous Chakwera, who is also a leader of opposition , has survived an assassination attempt after armed thugs tried to broke into his house Tuesday night.

Chakwera, a former president of Assemblies of God Church in Malawi, confirmed  in a brief interview with Nyasa Times that armed thugs attacked his residence and suprising an official security detail from Police had been withdrawn for the night.

“Yes there were armed thugs at my residence. Thank God I was not hurt. God is great, all the times,” said Chakwera.

MCP second deputy Secretary General, Eisenhower Mkaka said the party believes the thugs were targeting at Chakwera.

“Yes it is true that armed thugs invaded the house of our president in Area 9 but we thank God that our private guards were alert as they engaged in a running battle with them when they were trying to break into our president’s house,” said Mkaka.

Mkaka said the thugs fired some shots as the security guards were chasing them.

“As a party we are investigating  this issue seriously,” Mkaka said.

Mkaka also confirmed that a police officer who is assigned to the opposition chief was absent for the night .

“ We are very worried with the issue and security of our president as the thugs fired some shots within the compound and they kept saying no one can arrest them,” he said.

“This was a planned attack” Mkaka said and insinuated that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) militia were behind it.

The attack comes a day when Chakwera called the State of national address by Muntharika as empty and prescription of a disease instead of a medicines of the economic turmoil  that is besseting  the country.

It also comes a day after he asked government in the Parliament to give details about the alleged corrupt syndicate involving top DPP officials in the maize purchase saga in Brazil which Minister of Agriculture George Chaponda denied the rumours as aimed at tarnishing his image.