Civil Liberties Committee (Cilic) has bemoaned Muhlako wa Alhomwe ethnic group for raiding the residence of Mulanje West legislator Patricia Kaliati and holding a vigil purportedly to force her to apologise for allegedly disrespecting Lhomwe Paramount Chief Ngolongoliwa.
In a statement signed by Felix Chikalira, the civil society organisation asked the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) and Malawi Police Service (MPS) to take action.
Cilic has also faulted the police for allegedly being partisan.
Reads the statement in part: “We do not want this barbaric behaviour to spread among tribes in the country. This practice is tantamount to witchcraft and threatens our God-fearing nation. It is no wonder that issues of human body parts and albino killings continue to spread in this country.”
Mulhako wa Alhomwe last week demanded an apology from Kaliati for not using the title ‘paramount chief’ in addressing Ngolongoliwa during the United Transformation Movement (UTM) launch rally at Masintha ground in Lilongwe on July 21.
But Kaliati, who ditched the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for UTM where she is interim secretary general, has maintained that she owes no one an apology. She said she will not apologise even if the Mulhako wa Alhomwe members continue holding the vigil at her Nkando residence.
On Monday, Muhlako wa Alhomwe executive director Muchanakhwaye Mpuluka said the grouping will continue holding the vigils at a private place where rituals are expected to be performed as one way to force Kaliati to apologise.
He said the vigil at Kaliati’s residence was public, which involved placing flowers on the ground and offering sacrifices to appease their ‘gods’.
Mpuluka was, however, reluctant to say what type of sacrifices they made and will be making.
He said the essence of holding the private vigils and offering sacrifices to appease the ‘gods’ is one way of portraying that the Lhomwes are just practising their culture.
During a press briefing held at Mulli Brothers Limited (MBL) offices in Chigumula last week, the grouping warned Kaliati of serious consequences if she does not humble herself and make the apology.
