By Brenda Kayo:
Members of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Security have challenged Inspector General of Police Merlyne Yolamu to “reverse the bad image” of the Malawi Police Service, which they say is perceived as “political”.
Chairperson for the committee, Salim Bagus, led the onslaught on the Malawi Police Service (MPS) when Yolamu appeared before committee members in Lilongwe Wednesday.
They arranged the meeting on Wednesday to get a heads-up on the security situation in the Malawi.
Bagus said Malawians were worried about the continued attacks by panga-wielding “thugs”, with little police action.
Speaking after the meeting, Bagus said they had asked Yolamu to “bring back the police image” for renewed public trust in the institution.
“We have managed to talk to her, as Inspector General. She has managed to explain her side but we, as a committee, will be looking forward [to action] from her. What we need is action,” Bagus said.
On her part, Yolamu said MPS was investigating cases of political violence and panga- wielding attacks that had been registered in the country.
She, however, blamed political leaders for fuelling violence.
“[We, in] police have tried to be non-partisan when handling this issue. We have managed to arrest people on both sides, the opposition and those in the ruling party,” Yolamu said.
She said police arrested three people who were behind the vandalism of vehicles for MPs at Parliament Building, adding that they were currently out on bail.
She also said MPS had managed to arrest six people in Chikwawa District for allegedly stoning the President [Lazarus Chakwera]’s convoy last year.
Others arrested, according to Yolamu, are three people who allegedly vandalised a vehicle that belongs to a member of the governing Malawi Congress Party in Machinga District.
She also said three people were arrested for allegedly assaulting a presidential candidate for Alliance for Democracy in Lilongwe and three others for attacking two women in Ndirande Township, Blantyre.
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