Thugs vandalises office of minister: Undamaged Malawi President’s portrait raises doubts as ‘work of DPP cadets’
Ministry of Information, Civic Education and Communication Technology was not spared the damage by a section of protestors who caused mayhem in Lilongwe on Tuesday, leaving a trail of looting and destruction.
The thugs group broke in the ministry’s headquarters at City Centre in Lilongwe and caused extensive looting and vandalism.
Pictures taken by official Malawi News Agency (Mana) emerged on social media showing damage in the office of the minister and the Principal Secretary.
According to Director of Information, Gideon Munthali, the thugs made away with anything they could carry “including toilet tissues and condoms”.
He said: “Items which could not be moved out were destroyed. They removed legs of desks and chairs. Those without legs, they hammered them down or cut them to pieces. They swept all portable computers while computers with gave them difficulty were dismantled.”
Munthali said the thugs dropped some of the items at the car pack but in “irreparable state.”
Government claims the thugs were part of the demonstrations the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) which organised demonstrations on Tuesday and proceeded on Wednesday to demand the resignation of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chair person Jane Ansah for leading a team that allegedly mismanaged the presidential poll in May.
However, Malawians on social media noted that the burglars left a portrait of President Peter Mutharika intact on the wall in the minister’s office.
Some Facebook users suspected that the break-in was staged in order to pin the crime on post-election protesters.
“I wonder whether some of this looting of public offices is stage-managed,” wondered social commentator Onjezani Kenani .
“As some have pointed out, I cannot imagine looters who have broken into a cabinet minister’s office leaving APM’s (President Mutharika) portrait on the wall intact. The work of cadets, perhaps, to whom the master’s portrait is too scared to violate?”
The thugs also damaged Gemini Building, DHL offices, service centres and several businesses.
And Old Mutual Building was also raided and Kamuzu Mausoleum was not spared.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :