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Cowardly as they were, the officers from the Malawi Police Service stormed the home of journalist Justice Mponda wearing the cover of darkness, knocked on the door of his two bed-roomed Chiwembe home on the pretext that they wanted to give him a breaking, exclusive story in the early hours of Monday (Mothers' Day).
Unsuspecting and innocent, Mponda- who shares his Chiwembe Township house with Nation Publications Limited's minority sports' correspondent, Solomon Manda- opened the door, only to be surprised with the display of violence these poorly-mannered police officers displayed.
While others went straight to his bedroom- infringing his privacy- others smashed desktop computers on the verandah- computers donated by philanthropist Mary Woodworth, that British citizen who runs Friends of Mulanje Orphans in Mulanje in her bid to bail Malawian children from the pangs of hunger, ignorance, and motherly love.
The charge: Justice Mponda's perceived connection with the online publication, Malawi Voice.
So, in a typical display of how law enforcers bend the laws and standard rules to get their way and wreck havoc in innocent citizens' lives, the police officers who were deployed from the Southern region police headquarters arrested Mponda by 'trick'.
Reports indicate that one senior police officer (whose identity Zachimalawi knows) was calling Mponda's neighbours and asking for the journalist's phone number by alleging that they were friends with the Blantyre College of Journalism graduate (who has just completed his Journalism studies at the Polytechnic, a constituent college of the University of Malawi).
At the time of going to press, Mponda's number was just calling.
Zachimalawi is on the way to the Southern region police headquarters now, where Mponda is being incarcerated.
More details will follow.
However, the police action shows just how oppressive the administration of President Joyce Banda has become. Banda is renowned for being vindictive and unforgiving in her life. She is also said to be the type that never forgets past wrongs- the type that leaves no past wrongs unpunished.
Even if it is in a way that is anathema to democracy.
Justice Mponda's case testifies to that effect.
Why arrest a young, innocent journalist for choosing to expose the truth? Why?
This administration is as intolerant as those before it. It doesn't really matter who is in-charge. Politicians are all the same.
Release Justice Mponda unconditionally and immediately. Zachimalawi says so.
Unsuspecting and innocent, Mponda- who shares his Chiwembe Township house with Nation Publications Limited's minority sports' correspondent, Solomon Manda- opened the door, only to be surprised with the display of violence these poorly-mannered police officers displayed.
While others went straight to his bedroom- infringing his privacy- others smashed desktop computers on the verandah- computers donated by philanthropist Mary Woodworth, that British citizen who runs Friends of Mulanje Orphans in Mulanje in her bid to bail Malawian children from the pangs of hunger, ignorance, and motherly love.
The charge: Justice Mponda's perceived connection with the online publication, Malawi Voice.
So, in a typical display of how law enforcers bend the laws and standard rules to get their way and wreck havoc in innocent citizens' lives, the police officers who were deployed from the Southern region police headquarters arrested Mponda by 'trick'.
Reports indicate that one senior police officer (whose identity Zachimalawi knows) was calling Mponda's neighbours and asking for the journalist's phone number by alleging that they were friends with the Blantyre College of Journalism graduate (who has just completed his Journalism studies at the Polytechnic, a constituent college of the University of Malawi).
At the time of going to press, Mponda's number was just calling.
Zachimalawi is on the way to the Southern region police headquarters now, where Mponda is being incarcerated.
More details will follow.
However, the police action shows just how oppressive the administration of President Joyce Banda has become. Banda is renowned for being vindictive and unforgiving in her life. She is also said to be the type that never forgets past wrongs- the type that leaves no past wrongs unpunished.
Even if it is in a way that is anathema to democracy.
Justice Mponda's case testifies to that effect.
Why arrest a young, innocent journalist for choosing to expose the truth? Why?
This administration is as intolerant as those before it. It doesn't really matter who is in-charge. Politicians are all the same.
Release Justice Mponda unconditionally and immediately. Zachimalawi says so.
