Malawi Police arrests 13 youths in Mzuzu for holding anti-Mutharika protest, insulting President

About 13 members of the Mzuzu Youth Association (MYA) have been arrested Monday  morning in Mzuzu for reportedly holding anti-government protests and  allegedly criticising President Peter Mutharika.

Police in Mzuzu could not make immediate comment on the arrest, but Nyasa Times has physically confirmed their nabbing.

The 13  were arrested around Katoto Secondary School area where they planned to hold anti-government protests for the country’s abysmal socio-economic scenario.

They were carrying a coffin – the size of which a six year old child could fit and a dog. It was draped with ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) regalia.

According to our findings, the youths had planned to put the dog in the coffin – draped up in DPP regalia – to symbolize the death of government which, they claim, has “gone to the dogs.”

Earlier, divisions had sounded in the Association with on faction of calling off the demonstration that were scheduled for today [Monday], saying government had started “responding to some of their complaints.”

About ten thousand tons of maize to be distributed in ADMARC depots arrived in Mzuzu Monday morning.

But the arrested youths, claim their friends were “bribed by government.”

They criticised Mutharika  that he was failing to run the affairs of government and that he did not tell Malawians the truth regarding the maize situation.

The arrests come a day after the Catholic bishops in the country also gave government a reality check on its administration mannerisms.

It also comes after Patrick Semu, a 19-year-old information and communications technology (ICT) student at Daeyang Luke University in Lilongwe, was arrested for  allegedly criticising Mutharika in a public minibus transport.

National Police spokesperson Nicholas Gondwa confirmed that the student was charged with conduct likely to cause breach of peace contrary to Section 182 of the Penal Code and attracts a fine or six months imprisonment.

In September last year, the Balaka Magistrate’s Court convicted and fined K3 000 a 60-year-old man after finding him guilty of insulting the President.