UDF calls for a complete reform of the police

Report by Gloria Masanza. 

A call goes out to government to increase funding to the Malawi Police Service for the realization of the police reform programme.
 
The call comes from the former ruling United Democratic Front-UDF.
 
UDF Director of Research Humphrey Mvula, made the call after a series of incidents involving police officers being violent towards unarmed people.
 
The recent one being the arrest of a man, who was allegedly shot by deputy minister of trade and industry, Ellock Maotcha Banda, soon after he was discharged from hospital.
 
The remarks also come a few months after police allegedly beat UDF regional governor for Viphya Reverend Chande Mhone, who later died of the wounds and was buried last week.
 
Reverend Mhone was beaten at Kamuzu International Airport on 25th May this year, when he was welcoming former president Bakili Muluzi from a trip from the United Kingdom.
 
Muluzi was arrested soon after he had alighted from the plane and Mhone and other UDF supporters were protesting his arrest, when the police started beating him, although he was not armed.
 
Speaking in an interview, Mvula said there was a clear indication that the police service was not yet reformed and that a lot needed to be done to change the practice.
 
Mvula said there was need for the police to first investigate the alleged shooting by Maotcha Banda, instead of rushing to arrest the victim, who is said to be living with a bullet in his body.
 
Mvula said the police reform process needed to be driven by both the NGO community and government so that it becomes a success.
 
He bemoaned that little had been realized since the programme was introduced in the police service, and added that police officers should first change their mindset, from being a police force to a police service.
 
Mvula then urged police officers not to be selective when serving people, but rather provide the services to all Malawians at all times.