Police moved to probe DPP violence

Police have committed to investigating allegations that Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) members on Wednesday assaulted a bicycle taxi operator for allegedly branding the party a group of thieves.

The members attacked the operator, John Mphande, in full view of various people near National Bank of Malawi Mzuzu Service Centre on Wednesday. He was dragged into a DPP vehicle they were travelling in while beating him.

It took the intervention of one of the women in the vehicle for the members to release Mphande. However, he was forced to walk in town half-dressed as his T-shirt was snatched and torn into pieces.

Asked what steps police have taken on the violence, Northern Region Police spokesperson Maurice Chapola yesterday said police will follow up the matter to establish if indeed Mphande was attacked and who attacked him.

He urged Mphande to report to police so that police can have a better version of the incident other than hearing from other people.

Chapola said any person who has committed an offence has to face the law. He said no one should be taking the law into their hands, adding even if it were a police officer involved, they still have to be brought to book.

“The person has not been to police to complain. For us to have a good case we need his statement. We wonder why he is not coming forward. If indeed he was assaulted he has to help us with the investigations,”said Chapola.

Livingstonia CCAP Synod Church and Society Programme director Moses Mkandawire said the DPP members were not politicians, but thugs. He said any person who indulges in violence or believes in violence is a thug.

Mphande’s colleague, Louis Banda, said Mphande was in bad condition when he and others visited him on Wednesday night and Thursday morning. He said he was taken to Mzuzu Central Hospital for check up on Thursday.

“We went to see him this morning, but he was rushed to the hospital because his condition had not changed,” said Banda.