Tonse Alliance foils armed attack in Blantyre
Members of Tonse Alliance—an election coalition comprising nine political parties and a movement— yesterday foiled an attempt by suspected thugs armed with pangas who wanted to destabilise a campaign tour in Blantyre.
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Campaign Director, Moses Kunkuyu, who was part of the tour, said Tonse Alliance security personnel apprehended at least 17 suspected thugs who were handed over to police.
The tour started in Ndirande Township where 11 of the suspected thugs were reportedly apprehended and had their pangas seized.
The Tonse Alliance leadership of Timothy Mtambo of Citizen for Transformation, Kunkuyu, Felix Njalawa and Louis Ngalande of UTM and Professor John Chisi of Umodzi Party, toured three markets of Ndirande, Blantyre and Mbayani to campaign ahead of the fresh election.
Addressing the people who gathered at these markets, Mtambo said Malawi belongs to everyone and that it is not a personal estate of two families.
He said through the tour, he is convinced that the partnership of MCP leader Lazarus Chakwera and his UTM counterpart Saulos Chilima will make it on the ballot.
“It is clear that Malawians want change. They want better livelihoods for themselves which only the Chakwera- Chilima presidency can deliver. We are telling them that the Malawi they want cannot be possible if they just stand by and watch. They must verify their names in the voters’ register and when time comes, vote,” he said.
Commenting on the attempts by the suspected thugs to destabilise the tour, Kunkuyu said Malawians are no longer afraid of pangas and any other weapon and added that the alliance will not be intimidated in any way.
“This is what we have been saying that nobody can stop destiny. Nobody can stop change. We have been saying that when Malawians want change, they will not fear pangas.
“We have apprehended thugs in Ndirande, and Blantyre Market while others have been apprehended here in Mbayani. But these thugs should know that they will also benefit from the better Malawi that we are all fighting for,” Kunkuyu said.
Southern Region Police spokesperson Ramsey Mushani asked for more time before commenting on the development.
