Police arrest UTM vocal social media activist ‘Abiti Manice’: Accused of insulting Malawi President

Malawi police in Lilongwe has arrested vocal social media activist, Manice Hale a naturalized American citizen of Malawian dissent – known on Facebook as Manice Abiti William Dawood – of United Transformation Movement (UTM) at the Kamuzu International Airport as she was about to board her flight back to her base in United States .

Manice Hale arrested for insulting President

She is being accused of falsifying information and insulting the President.

Police were searching her digital devices for information related to UTM.

“She objected to her devices being searched without a warrant but they told her that they do not care about laws as they have instructions from the corridors of power to implement.

“You can follow your laws if you get into government next year (za malamulo zanuzo midzapanga nokha ngati mudzalowe m’boma,” said the arresting officer.

Manice, a nurse, came to prominence after she told TImes TV last week that she left DPP and joined UTM after seeing that President Peter Mutharika who is her uncle is failing to implement the very things he promised and to do when she and others campaigned for him.

She is being accused of insulting the President through Facebook.

A few weeks ago Mutharika threatened that he will arrest anyone who talks against him, citing an earlier UTM rally where his sister in-law former  first lady Callista Mutharika called him a Mtchona, meaning a person who has spent several years away from home.

The Presudent said he is ready to use Section 4 of the Protected Flag, Emblem and Names Act as Malawi laws prevent anyone from insulting the  President.

Section 4 of the Protected Flag, Emblem and Names Act states that any person who does any act or utters any words or publishes or utters any writing calculated to or liable to insult, ridicule or to show disrespect to or with reference to the President, the National Flag, the Armorial Ensigns, the Public Seal, or any protected emblem or protected likeness, shall be liable to a fine of K250 000 and to imprisonment for two years.

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C Banda
C Banda
5 years ago

“Manice Hale – known on Facebook as Manice Abiti William Dawood … is being accused of insulting the President through Facebook.”

Can NT tell us where exactly on the lady’s FB page we will find the alleged insult(s), or tell us what it (they) were?

#DzukaniAmalawi
#DzukaniAmalawi
5 years ago

This is an archaic law and has to be amended or scrapped completely. The president will have to lock up 65% of the Malawi population. There are a significant number of critics out there more vocal than Manice. come on Mr president, you can rise above petty politics. I thought heads of state have thick skins. the ex president of RSA, Zuma, had gone through personal attacks and name calling for years with none of the critics arrested. This is democracy and therefore free speech rules.

pathfinder
pathfinder
5 years ago

DzukaniAmalawi what kind of a creature are you? Buddy until then koma pano lamulo liyenera kugwira ntchito. I saw you are talking about zuma being insulted and noone was arrested, yeah maybe noone was arrested but a lot of them were murdered by the zulu tribe themselves. A lot of unsolved cases of mysterious murders. Ndipo ife alhomwe tikanakhala oyipa mitima like angoni, atumbuka omwe ali mazulu akuno kumalawi, bwezi titathothola anthu ambiri omwe mukutinyozanu. Mukutukwana alhomwe tonse chikhalirecho ena a ife sitinadyepo ndalama za boma, timadzilimbikila ndi kumagwiira ntchito tokha kuti mabanja athu achite bwini ndipo tikuyesetsa mbali yathu.

Nabetha
Nabetha
5 years ago

SH…HOLE GOVERMENT, SH…HOLE POLICE !!! THEY ARE AFRAID OF ANYTHING INCLUDING THE WIND ___GOD HAVE MERCY.

Hanja
Hanja
5 years ago

She gave wrong information and has two passports (USA and Malawi) with different names. When you live in a grass house DON’T throw stones. Mkwidzingeni ameneyo.

Wazza
Wazza
5 years ago
Reply to  Hanja

Amangidwe basi

kaya
kaya
5 years ago

Moral panic Theory from agogo

Dyson Masangwi
Dyson Masangwi
5 years ago

anayenera kumangidwa kumene, osatinso lero ayi. In fact achedwa kumumanga. Which culture can you insult a president and your uncle in public like that. She deserves more than just an arrest. As learned as she is, a professional, she has no morals, ethics, whatsoever. She is a big disappointment and a shame to our culture

BigMan
BigMan
5 years ago
Reply to  Dyson Masangwi

Obviously a stupid culture, arresting people because they don’t respect another person???? Get a life!

Chothandizila
Chothandizila
5 years ago
Reply to  Dyson Masangwi

Actually you should have been asking yourselves questions why is it that the President’s relatives are turning against their own when they should have been supporting him? First it was Callista and Bingu’s Children. When Peter realized that this was going to be embarrassing he decided to post Bingu’s daughter to an embassy. Now it is his niece turning against him. Peter has only been helping abale ake a Getrusde and has forsaken his own blood and fresh. Munthuyi saziwa kukhala ndi anthu. Ndi wamtima wachabechabe. Abale ake onsewa akumutembenukira sangakhale oyipa okhaokha. Just imagine he goes on to arrest… Read more »

Bola kuche
Bola kuche
5 years ago
Reply to  Chothandizila

Munthu wankulu akamafa pamudzi,amphaka nkhunda zimathawapo,ap chabwino palibe

DAVIE C MAKAWA
5 years ago

thats exactry what was happening in zimbabwe when mugabe wanted to silence his opponets

Cognitive Dissonace Theory
Cognitive Dissonace Theory
5 years ago

Malawi police stinks

Cognitive Dissonace Theory
Cognitive Dissonace Theory
5 years ago

When will our police stop being idiots

Cognitive Dissonace Theory
Cognitive Dissonace Theory
5 years ago

When will the police arrest those who were involved in K145million

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