UTM supporter hospitalised after beating in Karonga’s ‘Benghazi’ : MCP denies involvement

Chimwemwe Mwalweni, a UTM Party supporter in Karonga Central Constituency, was on Saturday allegedly beaten by Malawi Congress Party (MCP) supporters who thought he had been sent to spy.

Mwalweni was taken to Karonga District Hospital (KDH) where he is still receiving treatment.

According to information Nyasa Times has,  MCP held two rallies in Lupembe and Lughali to support their candidate Leonard Mwalwanda in the November 10 parliamentray by-election with live music band performance by the Simon and Kendal duo.

“Like any excited villager, Mwalweni went to watch the performance but unfortunately some MCP supporters spotted him and branded him as a spy before beating him,” a source said.

UTM candidate Frank Mwenifumbo sounding very depressed in a telephone interview said he was “very disappointed.”

Said Mwenifumbo: “We have reported the matter to police and they say they are investigating. Mind you, this is not the first time MCP has done this.

“The other time we reported a similar incident to the police and gave them names of perpetrators but nothing was done. All they say is that they are the government. But these MCP members should tread carefully because they cannot bring us back to the culture of impunity which we shoved away on the 23rd of June.”

But MCP deputy national organising secretary, Aram Beza, disowned the violence.

“Actually, the beating did not even occur at our rally. This man is said to have gone to drink where he quarreled and got beaten up by his drinking buddies. Surely, we should not be blamed for that,” said Beza.

Karonga Central Constituency goes to a by-election to elect a legislator on November 10. So far the main contenders are UTM’s Mwenifumbo and Leonard Mwalwanda of MCP.

Nicknamed Benghazi after a time-honoured battlefield in Libya, the shoreline in Karonga has become a conflict zone since 2009 when Cornelius Mwalwanda Frank Mwenifumbo had their first-ever face-off in parliamentary poll.

Mwenifumbo is contesting in the by-election on UTM Party ticket.