Police nab suspect in UTM woman undressing incident: More arrests looming

Malawi Police Service in Mangochi have arrested one suspect in connection with an ugly incident in which a UTM Party’s woman was stripped off her clothes and nearly walked naked in public at M’baluku in the lakeshore district on Sunday.

The arrest of 28-year-old Adam Masitala came barely hours after the powerful women movement, Women in Politics, gave President Peter Mutharika and the Inspector General of Police Rodney Jose an ultimatum to arrest and bring all the suspects to justice or the women from all the political parties would match in Lilongwe.

Police spokesperson James Kadadzera said more arrests are expected within the week as Masitala was not alone when the lady was stripped off as well as an aspiring candidate for UTM and an official of the party were beaten up and harassed by Masitala and others who are believed to be ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rough necks.

“We know that he did not act alone, he was with others. We will round them up. We want people to live in harmony and tolerance and peace,” Kadadzera told Nyasa Times.

Kadadzera said Masitala has since been charged with robbery with violence and insulting the modesty of a woman.

Masitala hails from Mtagaluka village in chief Chowe’s area in Mangochi.

The woman, Veronica Katanji told a news  conference in Lilongwe on Tuesday that her husband has since dumped her after the video clip of her walking semi-naked made rounds on phones.

“He has deserted me, leaving me alone with my three children. Two are his step children and the other one is an orphan whom I bring up,” she said.

She said the husband accused her of going to political rallies when he provided her with everything she needed in her life, saying the act is embarrassing.

“He said I embarrassed myself and I have embarrassed him too. So, he left since the incident and he has not come back,” she said.

Some people in social media however are skeptical of the arrests, saying they are just a mere smokescreen as the suspects cases would be discontinued after the anger among women groups and other human rights activists dies down.

According to published research.  out of 15 incidents of violence that occurred between 2014 and 2018, police only acted swiftly on one.In October last year, Human Right Watch (HRW) and 13 international organisations penned Jose demanding urgent and thorough investigations into attacks and threats against human rights defenders and the opposition in the country.