Africa-Press – Malawi. The recent arrests of Yona Malunga, a prominent supporter of the Wanderers football team, and Stone Mwamadi, the suspended Chairperson of Nyasa Big Bullets, have raised concerns about disorderly conduct due to their affiliation with the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). Both were apprehended for allegedly threatening and intimidating George Kasakula, the Director General of the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC).
Kasakula, the guiding force of the national broadcaster, was on Friday coerced into making a live television apology for sarcastic remarks about President Arthur Peter Mutharika, who had been in office for just seven days following the September 16 polls and is serving his second non-consecutive five-year term.
This situation has drawn attention to Kasakula’s prior role as a propagandist for the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) on the program “Timvetse,” aired by MBC, which raises concerns about breaches of media laws and journalistic ethics demanding neutrality and impartiality.
Inspector Beatrice Mikuwa, Deputy Mouthpiece for the Southwestern Malawi Police, confirmed that Malunga and Mwamadi have been arrested and are expected to appear in court.
This marks a significant shift in police professionalism, suggesting that law enforcement may now operate independently of political pressures.
During the previous MCP administration, numerous assaults went unpunished, with law enforcement often failing to apprehend the alleged perpetrators.
For instance, activist Sylvester Namiwa was brutally attacked in Lilongwe on June 26, in the presence of Malawi Defence Force and police officers, igniting public outrage.
Despite appeals from individuals and organizations, efforts to hold the attackers accountable were largely unsuccessful.
Last week, before Mutharika was sworn in as the 7th president of Malawi on October 5, the UN Special Rapporteur publicly addressed the MCP-linked attack on Namiwa, revealing that the Malawi government had not responded to earlier correspondence regarding the issue. They now expect the DPP-led government to conduct thorough investigations.
The arrests of Malunga and Mwamadi may indicate that the DPP administration under President Mutharika is committed to upholding the rule of law.
“Under the leadership of His Excellency Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika, the DPP is a party of law and order.There is no tolerance for vigilantism or savagery within our ranks,” stated Noel Lipipa, a top DPP official and Member of Parliament for Blantyre Chilomoni Kabula Nancholi Constituency, in a Facebook post.
As the new administration navigates these turbulent waters, it remains to be seen whether they will uphold their promise of justice.
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