Political activist Bon Kalindo has given Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Commander General Vincent Nundwe and seven other public officers five days to explain why foreign investigators were allowed to have access to information about the country ’ s security information.
The other seven include Attorney General Thabo Chakaka Nyirenda , Inspector General of Police George Kainja, Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) director general Martha Chizuma, National Intelligence Bureau director Dokani Ngwira as well as ministers of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Homeland Security and Foreign Affairs Titus Mvalo, Richard Chimwendo Banda and Eisenhower Mkaka , respectively.
Kalindo, who was accompanied by two concerned citizens, issued a five-day ultimatum yesterday during a press briefing in Blantyre.
He expressed fear that giving foreign investigators access to inspect or interrogate the country ’s security information would expose Malawi’s weakness to other people, a development that poses a threat to the country’s security. Kalindo said: “We are saying as a sovereign country, we should not allow foreign experts to assess or have access to our security information. Malawians deserve an explanation on how foreigners are allowed access to such information.”
In an interview after the briefing, Kalindo said he has evidence that the said foreign investigators arrived in the country on October 5 2021, but could not divulge more information on where he gets such information and if the alleged investigators are still in the country.
He said: “As a citizen, I cannot be barred in any way from accessing information and seeking an opinion on the same. It is my right.”
In an interview yesterday, Chakaka Nyirenda said he respects Kalindo’s views, but will not be drawn to comment.
He said : “ The Constitution in Malawi allows freedom of expression and freedom of opinion. So that is his constitutional right to do that [issue a five-day ultimatum]. But I have no comment on that.”
Other concerned public servants could not be reached for comment on the matter on several attempts.
In a separate interview, a security expert from Mzuzu University Eugenio Njoloma observed that matters of national security cannot just be talked about in the public without substance.
He suggested that Kalindo should produce tangible evidence to substantiate his claims.
Njoloma said: “There must be credibility of the evidence because every person can speak as a Malawi national, but no one should just speak things from the blues without evidence because in the long run it will compromise security in terms of trust which citizens may have on our armed forces.”
Besides the country’s security concerns, Kalindo also raised some issues such as alleged nepotism in the Tonse Alliance administration.
He said the appointment of President Lazarus Chakwera’s daughter to the United Kingdom foreign mission vindicates his concerns.
He also announced that he will lead demonstrations in Blantyre on January 21 and shut down Chingeni and Kalinyeke tollgate plazas in Ntcheu and Dedza respectively to force the government to reduce tollgate fees further from K1 000 to K500.
