Mutharika warns Chakwera against using albino killings for political mileage: MCP leader says ‘stop being a coward, do your job’
President Peter Mutharika has hit back at opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera for seeking to “score cheap political gains” over the crisis of killings and abductions of persons with albinism in the country.
Chakwera, who recently resigned as Leader of Opposition in Parliament to pave the way for his presidential candidature, told reporters in Lilongwe that Mutharika has Executive powers to end this barbaric practice but is “sleeping on the job and being a coward”.
But in a statement released by State House press secretary Mgeme Kalilani, President Mutharika quashed Chakwera’s claims, saying he is “saddened” that instead of joining forces with government, traditional leaders, the clergy and communities to stop the crimes being perpetrated against people with albinism, some political leaders have chosen to use the senseless attacks and murders of people with albinism to score cheap political gains.
“It is immoral for any political leader to sink so low and use the suffering of our brothers and sisters with albinism for political gain,” reads the statement.
The President is calling upon all political leaders to desist forthwith from politicising killings of people with albinism.
“People with albinism should also watch out for power hungry politicians that are bent on using their plight for political gains,” reads in part the statement.
The President is also appealing to all investigating agencies and the courts to “listen to the cries of Malawians “ and ensure that all those arrested in connection with the murders or abductions of people with albinism are taken to court expeditiously and that those found guilty are handed sentences befitting the gravity of the offence.
Mutharika also reiterated that government is doing all it can within its means to ensure that persons with albinism are safe in this country by among other things increasing police presence in areas where people with albinism stay across the country and also by providing housing to people with albinism upon assessment of their needs.
But Chakwera said it is sad that the killings are continuing despite government launching the National Action Plan (NAP) last year to protect those living with albinism.
Said the MCP leader: “You need to know that whoever is in the syndicate that is buying the body parts of people with albinism is deemed so powerful that the police feel restrained from arresting them; the buyers are deemed so powerful that the murderers feel motivated to continue killing for them; the buyers are deemed so powerful that the President continues to resist funding the National Action Plan to stop these murders; the buyers are so powerful that the President continues to resist using his constitutional power as Commander in Chief to order the police to bring them to justice.”
He continued: “I only have three words for the President; Do your job! Stop being a coward and do your job. If you do not end these murders and abductions, you will leave a legacy that will haunt you for the rest of your life.”
Chakwera dared that once voted into power, he will end the abductions and killings within a month.
Commenting on the development, governance commentator and rights defender Makhumbo Munthali told Nyasa Times that it is the duty of the State to protect promote and fulfil rights, including that of life of persons with albinism.
“The right to life of persons with albinism continues to be violated under the watch of the State and it is now becoming clear with the continue killings of persons with albinism that President Peter Mutharika’s regime has failed to protect right to life of persons with albinism,” said Munthali.
He said despite that Mutharika has on several occasions condemned the atrocities against people with albinism, urging police to catch the perpetrators and let them rot in jail; the public is now “tired being greeted with mere rhetoric and press statements from State agencies and Mutharika himself on the matter.”
The rights defender concurred with Chakwera that “it’s time for action.”
He said: “Persons with albinism cannot be treated as aliens in their own country. It’s high time Mutharika and State agencies walked the talk on the issue.”
Since 2014, an unprecedented wave of abductions and killings of people with albinism have occurred in the country up to 152, including 25 murders and more than 10 people missing, according to Association of People with Albinism (Apam).
People with albinism are targeted for their body parts in the belief that they contain magical powers. The current population of people with albinism in Malawi is estimated at around 10 000.
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the whole government machinery failing to protect around 10 000 albinos. How many police officers that are just idling up to the extent of providing a useless running mate with seven body guards, We have some army officers, NiB etc who can be deployed to do the job. You can build a special area in each district to have all the albinos in one village and offer them special protection. Mwalephera basu ntchito nkungoba ndalama za boma basi. This will cost you votes,
Do we really have a president in this country? I strongly doubt.
What APM knows is to line Police officers all along the road when he is travelling from LL to BT & beefing up Chimulilenji’s security details not these small albinos
It’s high time all of us must; ‘Do our Job’ on this issue. Well said Dr. Laz.
I believe chakwera is right. Peter is failing to do his job. I’m sure his top officials are the masterminders of albinos killing. Why he doesn’t copy from Tanzania where these killing started? Now in Tanzania is quiet they are operating in Malawi. I’m sure he has to be a leader. He needs to pull up himself. Copy from Tanzania and implement in Malawi. To be a leader is not a month cheques, stay in state house only you have to take difficult decision no matter you like it or not but you have to take it. Tanzania leaders showed how to do it
WE ARE PAYING PRESIDENT MUTHALIKA AND INSPECTOR GENERAL JOSE WITH OUR TAX MONEY TO DO A GOOD JOB, TO STOP THE ALBINO KILLINGS,TO EXPEDIETE ALBINO KILLING CASES,PROSECUTE THOSE BEHIND THE KILLINGS AND SEND THEM TO JAIL.
TODATE THE INVESITIGATORS , THE JUDGES SEEM NOT MOTIVATED ENOUGH TO DO THEIR JOB EFFECTIVELY.WHO IS TO BLAME?,IT IS NOT CHAKWERA BUT YOU PERSIDENT PETER MUTHALIKA AND IG RODNEY JOSE. MR STATE PRESIDENT, IT IS WRONG THINKING FOR YOU TO ENJOY GETTING CREDITS ONLY ON POSITIVE ISSUES HAPPENING DURING YOUR TENURE OF OFFICE LIKE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS AS IF YOU ARE DOING THEM WITH YOUR PERSONAL RESOURCES BUT DIVORCE YOURSELF FROM NEGATIVE ONES LIKE ALBINO KILLINGS.
MOST OF US, GOOD THINKING MALAWIANS, AGREE WITH CHAKWERA 100%,HISTORY TELLS US THAT WHENEVER POWERFUL PEOPLE CONNECTED WITH GOVERNMENT MACHINERY ARE BEHIND KILLINGS, OUR POLICE WILL CARRY INVESTIGATIONS FOREVER…….., WE HAVE IN MIND TWO CASES OF LATE ROBERT CHASOWA AND NJAUJU ALL OF WHICH HAPPENDED UNDER THE DPP AND MUTHALIKAS GOVERNMENTS.
IT IS SAD THAT OUR TAX MONEY FUNDED POLICE FORCE IS VERY EFFICIENT WHEN IT COMES TO SHIELDING THE DPP TERRORISTS BUT VERY INEFFICIENT WHEN IT COMES TO CARRYING OUT VERY CRITICAL INVESTIGATIONS SUCH AS THE ALBINO KILLINGS.
THERE IS ONLY ONE SOLUTION TO STOP ALBINO KILLINGS, THAT IS TO GET YOU PROFESSOR PETER MUTHALIKA AND YOUR DPP GOVERNMENT OUT OF GOVERNMENT COME THE 21ST MAY 2019 AND BRING IN A COMPETENT PRESIDENT AND GOVERNMENT.PERIOD.
Very true!
The message from Dr Chakwela is very clear to all the 17 million Malawians, “do your job Mr Professor President on albinos”, don’t waste our time with your usual stories. You have been sleeping for too long on the albino issues, Malawians will vote you out of state house, Gertrude will no longer continue enjoying the statehouse atmosphere if you continue sleeping on this issue, Mgeme Kalirani will be a teacher at Community Day Secondary School if you don’t take the powerful message from Chakwera seriously, watch out * 100. If your inability to stop albino killings is due to your old age, at 80 its is understandable, pack and go out of state house, Dr Chakwera will do a better job based on his promise.
Kkkkkkkk bakanganani kaye in
Some of you will not understand Chakwera up until your relation is dismembered or your own balls disappear. Then you will see sense in what Chakwera has been saying.
Foseki Nkgoswe Akakhala pa Mkate Sapheka.
The Malawi Police will do nothing for fear of the Big fish.
The utterances here by the fake accent deflocked ex-reverend are as childish as those uttered by the uncivilized Bon Kalindo on his being granted bail. It is totally preposterous to be talking of a syndicate that is exacting terror on people living with albinism without providing the details he knows. It is totally stupid of him to be talking of a high powered mafia feared by the police without providing details of what he knows. To you fake-accent former reverend, the Almighty will cast you into darkness for using the murder of people living with albinism as a ticket to State House. Get lost and roast in hell idiot.
@ Arafat
Just tell your clueless president to deal with this crisis. Otherwise he is wasting our time with his level of incooompetence
Your fake accented and daft leader should stop politicizing terror on people living with Albinism. If he had brains between his two long ears, he would have been part of the solution rather than being a tragedy opportunist as he turns to be.
Indeed Mr. Ibu is sleeping on his job. Remember the death of Njaunju, Chasowa of polytechnic? Up to now police are still investigating. Now the grew some murders of albinos. When people speak aloud for you to wake up you acuse them of trying to gain cheap political points. Your indecesion is putting people’ s lives at risk. So if if the presidency is too much for you please do us a favour just resign.
The problem is real and Dr. Laz is just like me someone who is very unhappy with the act of butchering our beloved albinos… nde ngati Peter waona kuti anthu azingokhala chete osalankhula kuopa kuti people will think they watch political mileage then Asiye pansi u pilezidentiwo cause ife sitngamangolira yet him is very happy ndi ziboda akumatengazo (quoted from his words)
Do we have MPs in our country?
Do we have any religious leaders?
Where are you?
What are yoibdoing about this very sad development?
It is very very sad yhat you have not acted at all. This is a nation emergency.
When you are a leader, it os expected that you LEAD.
Wake up.
How is Chakwera politicizing the albino killings when albinos are actually getting killed? Those caught killing albinos should face the death penalty. No mercy for killers.
Brilliant comment indeed by “Ndangodutsamo”. Promising to end hunger is not taking advantage of the hungry. So, too, promising to do something about the plight of people with albinism is definitely not taking advantage of their suffering. This is someone’s vision. Kungoti our president has buried his head in the sand for too long and someone should pull him out this coming May.
Zoona mutharika you are doing nothing on this ndiwedi commander of armed forces iwe… Chimdala chogona pantchito sakukunamizira iwe.
Inu mawa muzinenanso kuti president ali ndi mphamvu zambiri. kkkkkkkk shame on you a chakwera bcoz u
So far I have never heard of any solutions or suggestions from Chakwera. Wherever he is he is hoping more people are killed so that he gets into power. such a pastor SMH
Chakwera should stop this nonsense. He should know that the president cannot force the police to apprehend innocent people just because he has to be seen he is doing it. Human rights has to be observed . What Chakwera is proposing is dictatorship not democracy. Let the police do their work after all we know the capabilities of our police, not highly trained asinother countries, even in developed countries it takes time for the police to arrest the perpetrators. Why can’t we join hands all Malawians and fight this uncalled for behaviour instead of pointing fingers at others. Cheap politics will not solve this problem and even if Chakwera was president was he going to arrest innocent people. We have to remember that a person is innocent until proven wrong or guilty. Malawians need a lot of civic education that success is always achieved through hard work, not through magic. Let us all rise up and be our brother’s keeper and protect innocent people with albinism. It is a condition , not a source of richness. Ignorance is the greatest thing that is destroying our nation. Hon Chakwera should rise up above politics and stop campaigning for presidential position on the demise of people with albinism. No government would want people with albinism suffer. The bible declares that my people are being destroyed because of luck of knowledge. At such times like this seeking the face of God for divine intervention is important too. This killing is totally pure evil. Let the church rise up organise a day of prayer for people with albinism, . Last time I read the bible it says, God is near the broken hearted, . Reverend Chakwera should know this better.. Stop politicking on the demise of our brothers lives. Let the churches denounce this behaviour, let the mosques denounce this,. This is not a political issue , but a national concern, no finger pointing.
Dull mind
A Peter muzipita, you have wasted our five year. What exactly have you done to curb this malpractice? Totally nothing. I have never seen a useless president like this one
Truth hurts Mr APM. You’ve wasted our fives with nothing to show for only gruesome killings of innocent albinos & broad daylight corruption. To be honest, Chakwera has been consistent in addressing critical issues affecting this beloved nation. It’s time for you to pass a baton to other champions not the current status quo. You’ve failed us completely Sir with all due respect. The poor microeconomics and so called cosmetics reform has only fragmented Malawi into man made abyss & grand architect is your government.
This president is irritatingly incompetent. He would rather deploy soldiers to guard and protect trees but would not do the same to protect human beings. Shame
Both are failed politicians.
Chakwera is very right!!!! Mutharika is sleeping on the job too much!!!! Just there for all these years sleeping and watching our Albino brothers and sisters being murdered!! So why is APM angry at Chakwera??? This is so sad!
Phingo Walusa is brainy, quite a good way of looking at things. Instead of just being naive,pigheaded, sensitive and defensive to everything that comes from outside the so called state house learn to listen. First of all you PITA must listen to yourself. Why cant you use Chakweras views and gain the same political mileage? The problem is real. Instead of solving it you go about analysing the words which mourners utter and pretend that mourners are ungrateful. Surely you are very matakorous!! In leadership, when the challenges are many, step down.
Chakwera what have you done yourself apart from using any current problem to register your existence? Do your job too. we are fed up with your speculation and philosophical concepts. A mutharika nanunso do your job. dont waste our time with your press statements. We will not be satisfied with your press statements.
Do something!
When you say what has chakwera done you really amaze me. What can he do in his capacity while Munthalika is right on governments steering wheel. Its peter as a leader who need to do something
C
Mr President no time for warning some oppositions. You failed to defeat this act of evil. Am giving you 20 days to act. Enough is enough. STOP SPEAKING NONSENSE. Albinism people are our brothers and sisters. Government must protect them.
No one is politicizing the albino killings. For your information the matter is already political. You have no choice as head of state but to act with immediate effect. Chakwera has only advised you for free.
APM kugona mpaka wapakeliyala kumayimba belu iwe uli ndi politics hahahahahaha iwedi ndiwe mtchona who never deserves to lead us. GO WELL May is fast approaching
APM has been sleeping on the job indeed. He needed a shakeup on this matter to act on it. Rev Chakwera has just nailed it.
Even the agencies that were supposed to be working on this lack direction. That is why the President is actually appealing to them instead of the President instructing them to act on these issues. Lord have Mercy.
When we have a whole MBC that should have gone flat out, to propagate messages against albino killings, and a whole Ministry of Civic Education to spearhead such messages, all that the Broadcasting house does is just to run useless propaganda messages. The blood of our albino brothers and sisters cries out against you.
It appears as if Chakwera is in control and Peter in opposition. Peter has run out of ideas.
Chakwera is an honest man and what he says he mean. We need political will to stop the killing of albinos like stiff punishment like death by firing squad for guilty parties. And those who send the killers also must face stiff penalties of death sentences and also the courts should hasten the judgement for the killers and I dont think that can be a political milage.
Truth is we have a President who is Very Tired .Let him go and Rest ,play with his grand kids.Its very Unfortunate kuti yemwe anatibweresera Mabvuto amenewa By Rigging pano ati ali ku Opposition.
Ndiye mukuti Chakwera akufuna kupeza ma points pa miyoyo ya anthu a chalubino, abale tisamangotsutsa zili zonse dziko ndilatonse limeneli zoona kukuuzani kuti mphamvu zili mwa inu kulamula apolisi kuti mangani ndipo fufuzani kuti amapanga nawo chiani mafupawo nanga msika uli kuti walakwitsa ndiye kuti akupempha mavoti? Anayamba liti a Chakwera kulankhula? Nanga amabungwe alankhula kangati? Vomelezani kuti zatikanika ndipo anthuwa aloreni apite maiko omwe angakhale mwa mtendere. Taganizani pa Zambia pompa apa tinene kuti kulibe anthu amenewa? Bwanji kumalawi kwanthu? Tinene kuti tikulamulidwa ndi satana? Chitanipo kanthu Mr President, ndipo mizimu ya anthu amenewa idzakutsatani moyo wanu onse pokha pokha ngati kumwamba kulibe Mulungu.
Mr. Chakwera, on a serious note, not everything is campaign material. Are you that desperate?
We expect our leaders, whether in government, or opposition to be exemplary in their words and deeds. You are a man of the cloth. You can do better.
Mr. APM, take it or not, with your mere rhetoric on this issue you will indeed ‘…leave a legacy that will haunt you for the rest of your life…’ You calling for collective action, for how long have organizations and your fellow politicians from the opposition side discussed this, I am told to believe your opponent suggested some actions to put the practice to an end, what I was waiting for is to hear from your side how you perceive the proposed actions. Perhaps your statement means they are viable and you are afraid that if implemented it will be him on headlines. Please understand, we are discussing issues of life here. Your opponent rightly called you ‘Commander in Chief’ don’t you see everyone willing to have this ended looking up to you?
In my old days, in standard 6 we used to learn what was called CIVICS. I was taught to believe that the state has only two functions and that all what is put in place, ministries, departments, agencies, strategies and what have you are aimed at protecting the citizenry and ensuring that their well-being is being uplifted. Mr. President wake up, Malawians are suffering. But, this physical hunting of people with albinism is beyond inhumane. I pray mukabaiba, mukaphaipha, you come to your senses at once, mudzakhetsa misozi yamagazi ndithu kuti mulape mukupanga lerozi
The matter of albino killings is as complicated as much as it is sensitive. Now if someone says he has a solution and only needs one month to eradicate it, that person is saying he knows who is doing it. In other words, he could be the one perpetrating it in order to gain political mileage and voltage. Otherwise, to say I will wait until elected into power in order to rescue the albinos is to demonstrate that you are a very bad man. A thug. A dangerous citizen. Greedy. Hypocrite. By extension of this logic, Chakwera could be the one behind the killings.
Chakwera has been proactively doing what the executive would have done had it not been for its sleeping on the job. He has discussed with the IG. What he is advising the executive is from an informed point of view. Just release the required MK3bn to police and they will do the needful to break the anti Albino network and bring all of them to book. In fact, people are interested to know where the market is. Apparently, inaction by the Executive implies that they are protecting individuals involved in this
As Leader of Opposition in the past 4 years what have you done iwe Chakwera? You and Muthalika have failed
Mukugona kwambiri a Peter mpakana kudikila a Chakwera kuti alamule a police kuti agwile tchito zoona?
Chakwera is not only trying but continues to score political points by promising Malawians that abducting and killing of persons with albinism will be history in a month should he win on May 21, 2019. Mutharika has been in office for yrs now and is behaving like a musician, singing songs about albinos but no action! Let him wakeup and act, he can score even more!
Lindan i can only conlude by saying chakwera akudziwapo kanthu, Look how fast he called for a press conference just few hours after the abduction, hhhhh kalipo kalipo, Kwathu kuchimang’anja timati ilipo niiyo?
A reverend Chakwera akudziwapo kanthu. Awauze a Malawi bwino bwino.
Naive thinking….you mean must we not raise our voice when things are not going well? Your citizenship is very questionnable, I’m sorry to deduce that way.
Inuyo ndi amene mukudziwako kanthu. Hakwe
Just do your Job Chimulirenji Senior than wasting your time writting pathetic press statements.
So if a candidate says will end hunger is he taking advantage of hungry people?
Apitala akangopuma chabe azikalamba uko…we need new government new blood and new everything ka obwelwyoso azakhala wankhanzakoma peter should go and count his death days asatichedwesepo…Chakwera is being right zama albino nde zafika polilisana mmalawi muno..koma nthawi zose ndi the police are on the ground mxiewwww what ground and doing what aaaa they better create a place for all albinos with too much security..alibusy kugula zima mansion kunja uko anthu akufa kuno…
Your logic can tell you. How can one say will end hunger if there is no hungry people?