Leader of Opposition Dr. George Chaponda who is also Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has condemned the arrest of music producer Chiyanjano Mbeza.
Mbeza was arrested on Monday on allegations of spreading false rumours through his studio, according the law enforcers.
In a statement posted on his official facebook page Chaponda described the arrest of Chiyanjano as an abuse of powers by President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera.
“I want to tell President Chakwera that this is a blatant abuse of power and a violation of Chiyanjano’s rights. The police’s actions are a clear attempt to silence dissenting voices and intimidate citizens as they have done with recent arrests of a Reverend from Livingstonia Synod and others.
“I repeat, this is not an isolated incident. The MCP government continues to abuse the police, using them as a tool to suppress opposition and stifle free speech. This is a dangerous trend that threatens our democracy and the rule of law,” wrote Chaponda.
He added: “Worse still, the MCP government is taking Malawi back to the dark days of the one-party state, where people had no human rights, no freedom of speech, and no rule of law. We cannot allow this to happen. We must stand up against this tyranny and fight for our rights.
“To the general public, I urge you: DO NOT FEAR. Speak out against these injustices. Demand your rights. Demand accountability from those in power. We must stand together and fight for our democracy.”
Chiyanjano will appear in court today for formal charges.
