No arrest for arson
Police are yet to make any arrest in connection with recent cases of alleged arson against political parties and individuals.
National Police spokesperson, James Kadadzera, said they were investigating the alleged acts of arson, but did not say how many suspects had been arrested in connection with the incidences.
“Malawi Police assures Malawians that they are conducting intensive investigations to bring to book all perpetrators and put all those bombings to a complete stop,” he said.
Kadadzera, however, appealed to Malawians with information which can lead to the arrest of the masterminds to come forward.
In Lilongwe, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) regional offices were allegedly petrol-bombed last month amid the current political tension.
DPP general secretary, Grezelder Jeffrey, Sunday refused to comment on the attack on the party’s office, referring The Daily Times to DPP spokesperson Nicholas Dausi, who was not readily available.
In other attacks, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Youth Director, Richard Chimwendo Banda’s house in his home district of Dowa was also torched.
In the wake of the post-elections impasse, MCP offices, the party’s vice president Sidik Mia’s office and recently the party’s director of campaign Moses Kunkuyu’s motor vehicle were allegedly petrol-bombed.
Kunkuyu said the party was wondering why the police was taking long to act.
“On identifying and apprehending suspects, we wonder what leads the police are waiting for because the incidents that happened on 4th July were recorded on video and the perpetrators were not shy from showing their faces in the video recordings. We are still bumping into these people and facing the same threat of being attacked by them again because they feel they are above the law,” he said.
Kunkuyu said the arson attacks were spoken of by the same individuals beforehand, arguing that any serious investigation would have drawn a list of suspects and brought them in for questioning.
Human Rights Defenders Coalition Chairperson Timothy Mtambo’s motor vehicle was also petrol-bombed in Lilongwe and a house belonging to his relations in his home village in Chitipa was also allegedly petrol-bombed.
Mtambo Sunday said the police have not acted on both incidences of arson, including that of Friday where some people wanted to attack Mtambo’s motor vehicle with a hand grenade.
“The speed and commitment is not there. That is what happens when you have people, at the top, who are partisan. We wonder whether the police are doing anything on these cases. The danger of this situation is that it can create a state of lawlessness,” Mtambo said.
