The Muslim Forum for Democracy and Development (MUSFORD) has said unless officers in the Malawi Police Service (MPS) rose above partisan politics and implement measures the current administration of President Arthur Peter Mutharika was introducing to normalize the current security situation in the country, insecurity will remain a major challenge.
Responding to President Mutharika’s recent declaration to fight rising levels of insecurity in the country, MUSFORD President Sheikh Jaffalie Kawinga noted that the police was key to maintaining law and order in the country, therefore, there was need for them to rise above partisan politics and worked with government of the day in implementing all proposed measures to reverse the current security lapse in the country.
“In all what the leadership of President Mutharika is contemplating to do towards improving the current security situation in the country, police officers were central to ensure successful implementation of any proposed measures. Police officers should rise above partisan politics and support all measures which would secure this country from the on-going levels of banditry and theft,” Sheikh Kawinga said in interview.
“There have been situations where some elements within the police have deliberately frustrated efforts towards reforming the police. This has at the end of the day cost the country a lot in putting down soaring levels of insecurity. For whatever the president was proposing to do, police officers are the centre of implementation, Let our officers therefore, rise above politics and put the interests of the nation at heart.”
Said Sheikh Kawinga: “This is our country. This is the only country, we all call home. We should therefore be patriotic and support whatever measures are there to beef up security in the country. We are human beings who have political feelings, but let us try to rise above those political colors and work towards national hood.”
Security was key to any country. If we mess around with our security system, then all aspects of development will ground to halt and nobody will be interested to invest in this country.”
During his first political rally in the southern after his victory in the May 20 Tripartite Elections, Mutharika admitted that there was security breakdown in the country and he declared a “total war” against theft and crime.
Sheikh Kawinga then commended the President Mutharika for openly admitting that there was breakdown of security in the country.
“We would like to commend the President for coming out in the open to admit that something has gone wrong in as far as security was concerned. It is not easy for a leader to admit that certain things are not in order. This is a clear sign of statesmanship which is rare in the country among our leaders and we salute him (Mutharika) for this rare gesture. We would like then to appeal to all sections of the society all efforts towards improving our security system in the country,” said Kawinga.
For a long time, the country has been experiencing soaring levels of insecurity, creating panic and anxiety among residents and investors.
The current security situation has created a fertile ground for as rise in mob justice in towns and cities of the country.
