Malawi Police fire teargas, bullets to disperse MCP supporters: Mia says ‘failed assassination plot’

Malawi police in the commercial capital Blantyre on Thursday fired tear gas and shot bullets in the air air  to disperse dozens of opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) supporters who had gathered as curios market (paziboliboli) to received party cloth from vice-president Mohammed Sidik Mia.

Mia, who was accompanied by his wife Abida, addressed the supporters, vendors and shoppers appealing for them to support MCP as Malawi is heading to watershed elections next year in May.

However, police shot bullets in the air to disperse the opposition supporters  but they resisted to move until teargas cannisters were fired.

MCP members, shoppers and street vendors hurried for cover as police moved to break up the gathering.

“Police just fired teargas and started shooting without any communication to us. We were meeting our supporters and there is nothing wrong with that,” said Mia.

“This was an assassination attempt but I survived,” he said. “We view this as victory of process  to change.”

The police spokesperson declined  to comment.