Malawi Police Faulted For Demoting Officer Over Facebook Post

Demotion of Williams Kaponda who was the Public Relations Officer for Nkhotakota Police Station over a Facebook post he made has attracted mixed reactions from the public of which some have faulted the law enforcement agency.

Kaponda wrote on his official Facebook page reminding the Tonse Alliance leadership of the promises they made regarding making police officers lining up along the roads when the president is passing.

Following his comment, it was later reported that Kaponda has been demoted and transferred to Ndonda Police Unit in Kasungu where he has been reverted to general duties.

National police spokesperson James Kadadzera confirmed of the development arguing that the officer in question has been redeployed over what he called indiscipline.

He also confirmed that the police officer has reverted to general duties.

Kadadzera said the police have a duty to protect the President at all cost.

One of the country’s lawyer Bright Theu has however argued that demoting and reverting the officer to general duties is not disciplining him but rather victimizing him.

“I know demotion is a disciplinary measure in the Service. One can only hope there was due process. But this idea of posting to remote areas: it is one tool used to victimize, not discipline. That it is accepted as normal baffles me,” Theu write on his Facebook page.

He further asked if the president is amused upon reading the news.

Other social media users have also cautioned the Malawi Police saying that what they have done is a sign that freedom of expression is not tolerated in the county.

Others have backed the decision by the Malawi Police to demote the officer saying he lacked discipline as a police officer he was not supposed to use social media to share his grievances.