Nankhumwa tells parliament to investigate MCP training of party youth into militia: Chimwendo says ‘you carried gun, did you get training?’

Leader of opposition, Kondwani Nankhumwa has called on parliament to swiftly investigate allegations that the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is using police training schools to train party youths in the use of firearms.

Nankhumwa said this Friday morning as parliament rose sine dire.

He said parliament’s Defence and Security Committee should investigate the alleged fire arm training of MCP youths at Ntakataka camp.

Said Nankhumwa:“ Malawians surely deserve to know the truth and the reasons why MCP would want to train its youths in how to use firearms. Is MCP planning to resurrect the notorious Malawi Young Pioneers (MYP)?”

He said “this is no time for militias.”

The opposition leader said Africa remains bruised by the untold pains caused by militias.

“Charles Taylor and his boys massacred many people in Liberia. It is militias that distabilised Siera Leone. The Tigray region in Ethiopia is feeling the impact of the same weight of militiaism. The Northern part of Mozambique is no better as Islamic fundamentalists have capitalized on militiaism to wreak havoc.

“Nigeria is no better in the north. Africa’s youngest state the South Sudan is still at no ease. The world’s richest mineral resource country the Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, is on the cross due to militias. The Bangui in Central Africa Republic is at no Ease. Mali is at no ease. Nigeria is at no Ease. Somalia is at its worst point,” said Nankhuma.

He pointed out that the bottom line to all these is the training of militias.

“We cannot afford to put Malawi on the same devastating and detrimental trajectory,” he said.

But commenting on the claims, Leader of the House said “there is nothing wrong wioth the training.”

He nonetheless said  Nankhumwa was found with a loaded gun in his bag when he was entering Parliament in 2020 when President Lazarus Chakwera delivered his maiden State of the Nation Address (Sona) at the Parliament Building in Lilongwe.

“Did he get training on how to use the gun, we need to investigate too,” he said.

Chimwendo Banda has told off Nankhumwa that there is nothing wrong in training security officers.

He has challenged him to send the investigation team to Ntakataka even tomorrow to prove his allegations.

In 2016, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Member of Parliament for Blantyre City South East), Victor White Mbewe, caused commotion in Parliament when he was discovered with a loaded pistol when entering Parliament.

The late Dumbo Lemani, who was minister of Energy and Mining under United Democratic Front (UDF) regime, was caught in a similar situation years back when he attempted to enter Parliament with a loaded pistol.