DPP Cadets assault Allan Ngumuya

Tom Sangala July 6, 2018

426 1 minute read

BY SERAH MAKONDETSA:

Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Cadets Friday assaulted Blantyre City South Member of Parliament (MP), Allan Ngumuya, during a military parade marking 54 years of independence in Blantyre.

Ngumuya confirmed the development in an interview.

Ngumuya is among DPP senior members who are supporting the Chilima Movement, a grouping which believes that the DPP can emerge victorious in next year’s tripartite elections if Chilima serves as its torchbearer.

Ngumuya said the cadets assaulted him in the presence of some DPP officials, including the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Kondwani Nankhumwa, who was the guest of honour at the event.

“We arrived at Independence Arch after the march. The one particular cadet I know is Osman who approached me and demanded to know what I am doing at the function because I support Chilima. Other cadets followed suit, surrounded me, and started manhandling me. Luckily, police [personnel] escorted me to my car and I left the place,” Ngumuya said.

Blantyre Police spokesperson, Ramsey Mushani, said they have instituted investigations into the matter to establish the truth.

“We have a report but now we have instituted an investigation into the matter. Let me not confirm that they are DPP Cadets. It is only after the investigations that we can establish that they are DPP Cadets,” he said.

DPP secretary general, Grezeldar Jeffrey, downplayed the incident, saying there is no evidence that those who descended on Ngumuya are DPP Cadets.

“I have not heard anything of that sort, please call our publicity secretary Nicholas Dausi who is the right person to answer you. However, these days anything that happens is attributed to DPP Cadets. Even when a husband and a wife fight, DPP Cadets are blamed for it,” she said.

Meanwhile, Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation Executive Director, Timothy Mtambo, has said it is unfortunate that the current administration is associated with cases of violence despite Malawians opting for democracy in 1994.

“The DPP thinks that it owns this country. The most unfortunate thing is that such things have been happening while the police are watching. We expect the police to be neutral. Malawi is a democracy. They should learn to be tolerant with one another. The DPP has brought a strange culture,” Mtambo said.

In May this year, former first lady Callista Mutharika sparked calls for Chilima to represent the DPP as presidential candidate in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections.

Some of the members who echoed the sentiments are Mulanje South MP Bon Kalindo, Blantyre City East MP Noel Masangwi, the then DPP national organising secretary Richard Makondi, former DPP director of youth Lewis Ngalande and outspoken Mulanje West legislator Patricia Kaliati.