Police IG Jose rebuffs CSOs over Chasowa, Njauju killings
Malawi Police Inspector General (IG) Rodney Jose has rebuffed civil society leaders who wanted to have an audience with him to find out why the police are failing to investigate mysterious murders of University of Malawi’s The Polytechnic engineering student Robert Chasowa and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director of corporate affairs Issa Njauju.
Police spokesperson James Kadadzera said Jose could not meet officials of Human Rights Defenders coalition because they were in the forefront in labelling him a murder suspect and fought to have his confirmation by parliament rejected.
“After all, their concerns were addressed in the responses by His Excellency the State President. But don’t you think it is ironical that they should be seeking an audience with the IG when they fought to have him not confirmed by parliament,” said Kadadzera.
Kadadzera, therefore, asked the CSOs leadership to read the responses of their petition responded by Mutharika.
“The committee instituted by President received our responses and added them to the other responses,” he said.
Kadadzera said the responses the CSOs were looking for are already there.
The coalition member Macdonald Sembereka said it was surprising that the police seem not to care about the deaths of Chasowa who was killed seven years ago and Njauju who was murdered two years ago.
“It’s high time the investigations were finalized. We are concerned with the delays,” said Sembereka.
Chasowa was murdered in 2011 and a presidential commission of inquiry found that senior ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials and the police had a hand in the murder of the fourth year student because of his political activism at the college.
Njauju was murdered two years ago in what is believed to be his decision to brief donors on the companies owned by the top DPP officials who swindled the government of billions of tax money.
Malawi government requested technical support from the British, according to official government spokesperson Nicholas Dausi and Secretary to Justice Janet Banda, to bring closure to a the mystery that has eluded Malawian law enforcement agencies on Njauju.
Banda said the British government only offered support on the Njauju murder, but discussions had initially included possibility of including the murder of Polytechnic fourth-year student Robert Chasowa in September 2011.
Njauju was killed on July 4 2015 and his body was found half-buried behind the presidential villas in Lilongwe while his official vehicle was burnt to ashes at Mtsiriza, a peri-urban township west of Area 47 in the capital city.
Following the murder, several donor countries, including the UK, immediately condemned what was deemed a politically motivated killing and rallied behind embattled staff at the ACB.
Motives of the murder remain unknown just as the identities of those behind the heinous crime.
Government has over the years come under intense public pressure to bring to justice those responsible.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
The IG’s actions and comments on this issue are appropriate, as what goes around also comes around. The Semberekas would be naive to expect a more accommodating response, after they went after Jose, like rabid dogs, to oppose his promotion. IG uyu ali bize, abale. Kukhala IG sizachibwana (ngatoi za u CSO) ndipo simasewera; pali zinthu zambiri zofunika attention yake. And give him a chance to move on the learning curve, as he ascended to the position only a few months ago. Furthermore, to conflate Chasowa and Njauju cases is rather ignorant and irresponsible. Both cases may be political, but… Read more »
What an unfortunate comment. Both were politically motivated killings and need investigation. We have then appointed an alleged murderer an IG. In any case, I would have thought a cop would not be too busy to talk about a murder assuming he’s not involved.
CSOs without good will for Malawi. Ndapitaaaa
He involved himself too much in politics than school. That is a good act, Jose. Don’t allow to be twisted around by these failing CSOs.
Santana ndiwedi SATANA weni weni SHEITAANI nditsimwe lomwe osakugwira ndithu mpaka kulankhula mau oti ananchita bwino Chasowa yo Mulungu akukhululukireni atati komatu anthu monga inu ndi aja oti kungokutsinani pang’ono ndinu aja mmabangula mpaka kunveka ku Brazil kuti eeh kukubangula SATANA ku Malawi
You must be very stupid. You and Joze had a hand. I repeat you are very stupid
Hapana chisingapere. La 40 lidzakwana posachedwapa.
Is the guy treating the whole issue to be personal ?
Mr. IG, you are in public office, you do not have that much power to fail to open doors to CSOs. You are an obvious loser in the long run. It was an opportunity to regain public trust by explaining to CSOs acting on behalf of Malawians.It may mean that you have no explanation, confirming your hand in the man made deaths.
If I were the IG, I would positively take this chance of meeting the CSOs and clear my name on Chasowa’s death. Why r you afraid? Remember, what goes up will always come down, don’t think u are safe, time is coming…….
Clear his name with CSOs? Are they court of Law? Amamva zonena wina ma CSOs wo?
This is why I belief CSOs felt and still feel you are not suitable to be an IG. This is the problem of having a police service that acts as a political party security wing. Should MCP or UTM be elected into government next year, please clean the mess in the police service making sure it is staffed by professionals not these DPP stalwarts. Be certain Mr Jose and your DPP masters, your day of reckoning is coming and pretty soon it will be.
There is sense in what Jose has said. CSO have always believed that Jose had a hand in the killing of Chasowa, so how are they going to engage him? On the other hand his refusal could be because he knows he cannot investigate himself.
a jose chilungamo mukuchidziwa nokha. koma ndikukumbutseni kuti zomwe mukuchitazo mulangitsa ana nau ndi mkwiyo wa Mulungu. inu mukukondedwa ndi DPP chifukwa munathandizira kupha mwana wosalakwa. chasowa