By Draxon Maloya.
Malawi. (News of The South) – Officers of the Malawi Police Service on Saturday used unnecessary force beating and throwing teargas canisters at people with albinism while they were demonstrating in the streets of the capital city, Lilongwe on Saturday.
People with albinism through their umbrella body, Association of People with Albinism of Malawi (APAM) called for a vigil at the presidential palace in Lilongwe as one way of presenting their grievances to the president, Arthur Peter Mutharika.
Since the year 2013 there have been abductions and killing of people with albinism in Malawi but there seems to be no tangible progress to bring culprits to justice hence APAM called for demonstrations and a vigil at the gate of the country’s first citizen.
During the march a reporter from a private radio and television station Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS), John Paul Kayuni was severely beaten up by police officers while taking pictures of the police and persons with albinism when they clash and he was taken for questioning at Kanengo Police station before being released on bail some hours later.
Kayuni was charged with malicious damage for tearing one of the civilian police officer`s shirt as he wrestled with them when they were beating him.
Meanwhile the National Police Headquarters have released a statement disassociating itself with the allegations of improper conduct against people with albinism.
In a release signed by the police Public Relations Officer (PRO) Senior Superintendent James Kadadzera reads as follows in part:
The Malawi Police Service (MPS) wishes to categorically refute the allegations making headlines on social media platforms and other broadcasting institutions over alleged brutality by police officers deployed to clear and bring sanity on the M1 road at MIM offices in Lilongwe. Police officers deployed on duty exercise maximum restraint and performed their work within the law to restore order. A journalist from Zodiak Broadcasting services ( ZBS) Was also arrested for obstructing police officers on duty; he too has been charged accordingly, read part of the statement.
Read part of the statement.
Last year the police were on record again for beating up two ZBS reporters on duty in the city of Mzuzu when they were deployed to help in the sweeping exercise of vendors plying trade in undesignated places.
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