Police detain Peter Mutharika’s vehicle for violating traffic rules

Police in Ntchisi on Tuesday briefly disrupted a whistle stop tour by Democratic Progressive Party acting president Peter Mutharika when they detained a party vehicle that had a flash light and led the way for a convoy of vehicles that carried DPP officials.

In the course, Mutharika and other party officials were reportedly detained at Ntchisi Police station.

This forced hundreds of people to start pelting stones at the station until the DPP aspiring leader and the vehicle were released, according to reports.

The whistle stop tour, however, later proceeded via Malomo towards Kasungu as planned.

National Police spokesperson Rhoda Manjolo said the car was detained as it had amber lights which, according to law, are supposed to be used by construction vehicles, ambulances, traffic police vehicles and fire fighting engines.

DPP spokesperson Nicholas Dausi confirmed the detention “of a DPP public address vehicle”.

‘They mounted a roadblock which caused a fracas. We understand they had problems because huge crowds turned out,” Dausi claimed.

This detention comes hot on the heels of a public political rally demand by officials from the ruling Peoples’ Party (PP) that the police should no longer accept anyone from using convoys apart from the President and the Vice President.

PP Secretary General Henry Chibwana is on record as telling a political rally held by Vice President Khumbo Kachali in Mangochi that police should not accept that everyone should travel in a convoy anyhow as that was a privilege for the vice presidency and the presidency.

Minister of Information Moses Kunkuyu recently also claimed that laws of Malawi object to individuals, except for the president and vice president, to travel in a convoy on the roads of the country.

Section 109(7) of Road Traffic Act law only specifies that no motorists should imitate the special formation of the presidential motorcade/ motorcyles or conduct a convoy using two lanes.