President Peter Mutharika has bemoaned what he described as ‘selfishness’ by those in the opposition.

Mutharika spoke during a ceremony that took place at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe on Wednesday to honour two Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers who went missing during a peace-keeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) but eventually returned to the camp.

“These people [protesters] are vandalising schools [blocks] and terrorising school children, attacking innocent people in their homes, breaking cars of innocent Malawians and stealing from shops in organised looting. They are taking away our property”.

“I would like to call upon opposition [party] leaders that, for once, just for once, they must think about this country instead of thinking of themselves. The destruction we have caused in the last few months will take us years to rebuild this country,” Mutharika said.

His sentiments come amid protests which Human Rights Defenders Coalition is organising to force Malawi Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Jane Ansah to resign.