MCP, PP demand inquiry on Luanar student’s death

Main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and Peoples Party (PP) have demanded action on the death last Saturday of Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) student, Prince Kamwanza.

The late Kamwanza was one of the 46 Luanar students arrested and allegedly beaten by police for demonstrating against persistent power outages at their Bunda Campus in Lilongwe. The protests resulted in the closure of the college.

MCP spokesperson Jessie Kabwila said yesterday there was need to institute a commission of inquiry into the death of the student.

Kamwanza died at Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe where he was admitted three days after the arrest before being released on bail.

Kabwila was delegated by MCP president and leader of opposition in Parliament Lazarus Chakwera and leader of PP in Parliament Ralph Mhone to represent the parties during burial of the student at his home in Salima on Monday.

“The two parties’ leaders consoled the bereaved families and demanded answers on what exactly transpired. This is total police brutality on an innocent student,” said Kabwila.

But national police spokesperson James Kadadzera wondered why Kabwila was calling for an inquiry when a post-mortem conducted by a government doctor in the company of another provided by the deceased family revealed that he died of natural causes.

Luanar vice-chancellor George Kanyama Phiri led the university students in paying their last respects to their friend who was born in 1998.