President of the opposition Chipani Cha Pfuko (CCP) Davis Katsonga says is disappointed with how Home Affairs and Internal Security minister Uladi Mussa is conducting himself in an effort to solve the ongoing insecurity challenges facing Malawi.
Insecurity problems ballooned in this southern African country soon after President Joyce Banda’s administration invalidated the shoot- to-kill policy which former president Bingu wa Mutharika had instituted as a measure to curb insecurity concerns in the country.
But as one a way of solving the growing security problems Mussa has been asking members of the general public to be contacting him on his personal mobile phone number +265 999 510 949 whenever they encounter insecurity problem.
Mussa again gave the same mobile number on Friday to members of the public who attended the passing out ceremony of police officers at Kanjedza Police Training School in Limbe.
Speaking in an exclusive interview, the former minister Katsonga described the solution as not only cosmetic but also laughable.
“There are some solutions which are cosmetic. This one is really is one of such solutions,” he said.
“If honourable minster of home affairs get ten calls in one night about a crime in Chitipa what does he do? doesn’t it mean he calls the chief of police who will then phone the local police officer who will then tell police somewhere? What is he trying to achieve? What the minister has done shows a lack of seriousness and we are disappointed with him,” said Katsonga.
He says on the other hand this means that Mussa doesn’t have confidence in the police chief.
“Mussa has the full ministry which could have prepared a contact copy on who to contact to give it to the public. But it’s not on for the minister to be receiving calls from members of the general public complaining that their house has been vandalized. Do you think he is serious? This is a waste of time, very, cosmetic and laughable.
“If he has confidence with inspector general of police let him institute a policy which can assist bail out Malawian from insecurity situation the county is in”, said Katsonga
Katsonga also quashed Mussa’s remarks during the Kanjedza PTS function in which he blamed the general public of being responsible to the rising insecurity problem in the country for not supporting the police in rooting out crime.
“If the minister was serious about what he was saying he should also show evidence to support that statement. Does he know why the general public is not supporting the police? If this is indeed true? If he knows why this is happening, what solution is he putting in place to make sure that there is an improvement?” he queried.
Katsonga said Mussa cannot order the general public to behave the way he want them to behave unless he understand why there is no cooperation between the police and the general public.
“And I think the government has got the responsibility to civic educate the Malawians that police are indeed there for us the people and conduct the business in a manner that supports that statement. Only then is when we as Malawian will willingly and happily work with the police. Now the battle is for the government to mobilise resources for civic education to bring the police back to the people not as enemies or rivals as is the status quo.”
