Mulanje arson victims change tune
Two Mulanje women whose houses were set on fire on Saturday night say they want to change the caution statements they were recorded by police to implicate opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members in the incident.
The two young women, Pilirani Chipembere and Alice Julio, said this during interviews with The Nation yesterday at their homes in Sapuwa Village, Traditional Authority (T/A) Chikumbu in Mulanje Central Constituency.
They said they did not immediately link DPP to the incident when it happened.
However, the duo, who confess to support President Joyce Banda and her ruling People’s Party (PP), said they smelt a rat after DPP members in the village confronted village head Sapuwa to ask him why the issue of the burnt houses found its way into the media.
Said Chipembere: “We have information that the DPP members on Monday night went to the chief to question him why the issue was in the media.
“There are few of us in this village that support President Joyce Banda, the majority are DPP supporters. The DPP members verbally attack us, talk ill of our President, and now this [arson] is what they have done.”
Chipembere, a single parent of three, said she would go back to Mulanje Police Station to change her statement and mention DPP members as responsible for the incident.
Both Chipembere and Julio, who vowed to continue working for President Banda and her PP, lost everything to the fire. They lost household items, including clothes, plates and food.
Julio’s house caught fire around 2am on August 31 and she had to evacuate her three children to safety.
Both families are being kept by relations and they complained they are destitute in their own village, with their kids traumatised.
Mulanje Police Station criminal investigative officer Detective Inspector Yendani Mazalo said in an interview the two women, did not link the incidents to politics when they were recorded statements.
He said the matter was still under investigation.
Mazalo clarified that Chipembere’s house caught fire on August 24, during daylight, while the owner was inside and there was no cooking fire that was made nearby. He also said Julio’s house caught fire on August 31 at night.
Police recorded a statement from Julio when they travelled to the village on a matter reported by Chipembere, according to Mazalo.
The village head was not available for comment as he was reported away from his home.
After the August 31 incident, PP declared to avenge violent acts allegedly perpetrated by DPP members in Mulanje Central Constituency if the former ruling party did not stop provocation.
PP acting secretary general Paul Maulidi has since asked the party’s deputy publicity secretary Ken Msonda to retract the war threats and apologise, a thing Msonda has refused to do.
Very sad incident which should not recur anywhere else in the country.
Hon Ken Msonda is very right; DPP should stop their acts of violence; beating people, burning property, killing demonstrators & markets.
Bwana Maulidi did not get Msondas communication right; stop beating us or we shall hit back to defent our members and their properties. We are not hiting back because we respect democratic principals and values. Meekness is not weakness but strengh under control. I see nothing wrong with such words.
DPP is used to beating people and torching peoples properties.
The party should be made to stop.
Nanu a PP anayambira kukumenyani muja muli chete olo kuyankhurapo, pano Msonda wakuyankhulirani mukutinso walakwa! Mitu yanu ikukoka? Musonda akuti DPP asiye kutimenya akapanda kusiya tibwenzera, what’s wrong with that?
PP mind you you are not running an NGO or a religious body, u you are running a political party. If you allow people to hit you and you are quiet not even kuopyeza as musonda have done, a Thu akuthawani kumiziku.
Munaona kuti chipani cholamura chikumenyedwa. Zanu izo.
I am a DPP full supporter, but lets say the truth here, my beloved party should stop this tendancy of beating people and torching peoples houses. This is what dented our party image when we were in government.
As for my brother Ken Msonda, I know him better, he is a zingwangwa boy, born and brought up in zingwangwa; he talks tough, straight forward, a no nonsense retired church elder of CCAP BT Synod, wangoopyeza kulimbitsa mitima masapota a PP kuti asaope, angayambe kuchithawa chipani, kuopa kumenyedwa, otherwise Msonda ndi wamantha zedi!
Msonda must apologize he used very strong words.
Maulidi jumped the gun, he should have summoned msonda to get his vision, before condemning him in the media.
Maulidi forgot that Msonda was elected by all 2000 delegates at PP convention whilst Maulidi was rejected big time.
Msonda is trying to defent the lives, property and welfare of the people who elected him; Maulidi have no people on the ground.
DPP must be made to stop this tendancy of beating people and torching peoples houses.
PP, DPP, UDF ndi amozi akuziwana, asiyeni athane. MCP woyeeeee!