Malawi is not a Police state – Atupele

By Vincent Gunde……

Atupele Muluzi, has condemned in strongest terms possible the arrest and continued detention of Malawi First Pressure Group’s Political Activist Hon. Bon Elias Kalindo despite a court ordering his release.

Kalindo was arrested early in the morning of Wednesday at the Lilongwe District Commissioner’s office when he and fellow comrades of Malawi First wanted to present a letter to the District Commissioner Dr. Lawford Palani that the court has lifted a ban restricting the Group from holding their planned demonstrations to the State House in Lilongwe.

Many Malawians described the arrest of Kalindo as a deliberate plan to stop the demonstrations from taking place but it took the courage of Comrade Redson Munlo who is the Secretary General to lead the protesters to continue the journey.

Writing on his face book page, Muluzi expressed fears that Hon. Bon Kalindo was held by the Malawi Police Service [MPS] since Wednesday 30th August, 2023 saying his continued detention for exercising his constitutional and democratic rights must be condemned by all.

Muluzi says Malawi is not a police state and Kalindo’s continued detention undermines Malawi’s democracy and rule of law.

Kalindo was whisked in a police vehicle from Lilongwe to Nkhunga Police Station in Nkhotakota in a motive which can be best explained by the police considering the facts that there are many police stations in Lilongwe and surrounding districts.

Speaking after his release from Police custody in Dwangwa, Kalindo thanked the people of Dwangwa for warmly receiving him assuring them that the war to liberate Malawi continues, he is not afraid and if killed, his blood will fuel democratic revolution in Malawi.

‘’Pangolin is out of police cell, i will be driven back to Lilongwe using the same police vehicle which brought me here in Dwangwa,” said Kalindo in a video clip.

And speaking through an audio clip on Wednesday night circulating in various social media platforms, Malawi First Vice President Comrade Sir Charles Ben Longwe, praised all comrades for their courage staging demonstrations in Malawi describing them as heroes.

Ben Longwe said although the demonstrations ended in tears without reaching the State House, President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera is now aware that Malawians are in pain and suffering and are demanding for his resignation from office.

“Malawians held peaceful protests but the police and MCP thugs disrupted them, the police in Malawi are so compromised, it is an MCP Police,” he said.

He said in the subsequent demonstrations to come, they will write a letter to Area 30 to inform them Malawians don’t need them to offer security to the protesters but the Malawi Defense Force [MDF] soldiers saying the United Nations will have a copy of their letter.