Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) have said Malawi Police are responsible for the ugly situation on yesterday’s peaceful mass protest, arguing they (Malawi police ) should pay the costs for the demonstrations damages.
HRDC chairperson Timothy Mtambo said police deliberately provoked the situation.
In his remarks Mtambo said the peaceful protesters were fired teargas by the men in uniform with an aim of dispersing them and refraining them from protesting the incident annoyed and angered the protesters.
“They came at community ground firing teargas to the unsuspected protesters. The police wanted to disperse them, this provoked the situation,” said Mtambo.
Mtambo continued by claiming that some Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) cadets were given teargars to spray at the protesters.
According to Mtambo one of the cadets was spotted with a screw threatening to kill a protester thankfully a Malawi Defense Force (MDF) soldier intervened.
“We found some civilians with teargas. One of them had even a screw driver and wanted to kill a protester but an MDF soldier came in quickly,” said Mtambo.
First Capital Bank (FCB), Movesa and CFAO are among other shops that have been victimized by yesterday’s protests.
Unlike other protests, police did not give enough security.
According to police national spokesperson James Kadadzera, police is yet to issue a report on the matter.
