Uncertainty surrounds Concerned Citizens’
demonstrations tomorrow in Lilongwe pushing for the Police Chief, Merlyne Yolamu to effect arrests of some police officers implicated in the mysterious death of a Malawian of Rwandan origin, Emmillie Halimana Noel.
This follows the last meeting stakeholders meeting slated for this afternoon in Lilongwe to strategize the demos after the police leadership reportedly failed to meet the group’s demands.
On 16th November, 2022, Lilongwe District Commissioner, Dr. Lawford Palani almost pleaded with the grouping to engage the police before storming the streets; claiming the law enforcers were ready to listen to their demands.
But in the latest communication to the DC, which we have seen, the grouping insists it will go ahead with the demonstrations as planned and want also to petition parliament through the Security and Defence Committee.
It remains unclear if authorities will give the grouping a go-ahead with the late stakeholders meeting amid politics that has always taken centre stage whenever civil rights groups want to hold demonstrations.
The grouping still believes the police leadership is playing hide and seek games on the matter in a deliberate attempt to shield its officers in Noel’s death that has seen two contradictory post-mortem reports.
The first autopsy shows Noel died of head injuries in a road accident on 17th October 2022 around the Malawi Institute of Management in Lilongwe on his way back from Dzaleka Camp in Dowa.
Yet the second post-mortem indicates he was murdered as his family suspects his ex-wife had a hand in his death.
However, police maintain they are still investigating the matter while accusing some individuals of fabricating stories to give the impression that they are not doing their job and assures deceased’s family that they will get credible results from the investigation.
