We will kill HRDC Leaders – Blantyre Vendors

Police will now have to prepare fresh arrest warrants for the leaders of Blantyre vendors: They just formally announced that they plan to murder the arrested HRDC leaders if police ‘wantonly release them.’

The sturdy vice secretary of the so-called Blantyre City Vendors Association sure had his notes written down and he looked into the camera with full conviction while flanked by a crowd of his peers who broke into cheers, to punctuate his speech.

‘…we as vendors are celebrating and happy that our police have arrested for us the people that are tormenting us vendors and our businesses…,’ said the cleanly shaven man.

The vendors probably had an important message: HRDC frequent demonstrations are impacting their sales. They however then messed up a good brew by adding in murder plans.

In announcing that he and his friends intended to murder Mtambo and click, he trespassed into illegal territory.

He threatened the right to life (one of the most respected right in the world), he also is guilty of conspiring to commit a felony, he is guilty of issuing threats to the police (impeding the duties of public officers) and my favourite one: guilty of crimes against democracy.

As usual, in a country of laws, if vendors have any issues against HRDC, they can always sue or get an injunction or even petition HRDC with a cease and desist letter. Violence or threats of violence are not part of democracy nor a country of laws.

We know that the vendors are in cahoots with the ruling party and now that they have committed crimes similar to those HRDC leaders committed, what will the police do? The answer should be: arrest them, of course, but will they?

Tionenge. Titipulikenge.