HRDC calls for IG’s head

The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) on Monday wrote Malawi Police Service (MPS) Inspector General (IG) Rodney Jose, demanding his resignation for allegedly allowing partisan politics and tolerating political violence.

Since the beginning of this year, suspected DPP cadets have assaulted UTM Party director of youth Bon Kalindo in Mulanje, harassed and forced party supporters to undress in Mangochi at the weekend, and beat up Malawi Congress Party (MCP) supporter Edward Govati in Blantyre.

The HRDC letter accuses the police boss of failing to provide decisive leadership in addressing political violence that is becoming more pronounced as Malawi heads towards the May 21 Tripartite Elections.

Signed by chairperson Timothy Mtambo and his deputy Gift Trapence, HRDC expressed dismay at how the MPS has taken a laissez faire approach in dealing with political violence, especially when the victims belong to opposition parties.

It reads: “Inspector General Sir, can you tell us how long it takes MPS to investigate, arrest and prosecute suspects who, for instance, burnt UTM vehicles in Mangochi; indeed how many years should Malawians wait for MPS to d prosecute regime thugs that beat up Hon Patricia Kaliati t, the beating of Hon Bon Kalindo in Mulanje, the harassment and undressing of UTM supporters in Mangochi and the beating of an MCP supporter recently.”

Should the Police IG not step down, Trapence said in an interview that they will hold demonstrations in March over the matter and other socio-political and economic issues affecting the country.

But in an interview, Jose said he felt concerned with cases of violence, and that MPS was dealing with the problem.

“I was talking to our officers in the Southern and Eastern regions that we must not watch this thing take root because we may have a serious situation as we approach the tripartite elections, which will have negative repercussions on how the international community perceive Malawi as a country,” he said.

A research Nation Publications Limited (NPL) conducted based on serious violent cases published in Weekend Nation, The Nation and Nation on Sunday in August 2018 indicates that out of 15 incidents of violence that occurred between 2014 and 2018, police only acted swiftly on one. In October last year, Human Right Watch (HRW) and 13 international organisations penned Jose demanding urgent and thorough investigations into attacks and threats against human rights defenders and the opposition in the country.