Following a brutal assault on opposition party monitors by suspected Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) cadets at a voter registration center in Mulanje on Friday, police have not made any arrest.
On May 1, 2020, suspected DPP cadets stormed one of the centers where the second phase of voter registration exercise is taking place and manhandled monitors for UTM and MCP.
Some monitors were seriously injured in the process and were rushed to the hospital.
Despite the matter been reported to Mulanje Police Station on the same day by UTM’s Secretary General Patricia Kaliati, who was accompanied by UTM’s Youth Director, Bon Kalindo, no arrest has been made.
Mulanje Police Spokesperson, Sub Inspector Grecium Ngwira, confirmed the development saying police investigation on the matter is still under way.
When asked by YFM online why the law enforcers are failing to bring to book some people who were captured on video clips leading the violent acts and the clips have been circulating on social media platforms, Sub inspector Ngwira said their investigation cannot depend on social media.
Sub inspector Ngwira said: “Police investigation cannot be driven by social media because most of social media events are unreliable.”
And when asked whether the safety of opposition parties is guaranteed in the district, more especially this period of campaign, taking into account that the district is regarded as one of the strongholds of the rulling DPP, Sub inspector Ngwira assured that the police is geared to provide necessary security regardless of the nature of any political party.
Vice President and UTM leader Saulos Chilima on Monday took a swipe at President Peter Mutharika, branding his actions as propagating “political thuggery” following a new wave of violence in the country.