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About seven people were seriously injured when supporters of two independent candidates in Mangochi Malombe constituency attacked a convoy carrying deputy Commerce Minister James Chikwenga and his supporters on Sunday afternoon.
Eyewitnesses told Nation Online that supporters of the two independents Philip Yasin Milanzi and Maxwell Maulana attacked the minister at Linga Masa bridge.
“In the battle that ensued, seven people and the minister were injured,” said an eyewitness on Monday.
Chikwenga in an interview on Monday said that the independent candidates attacked him because they have vowed to stop him from campaigning in some areas.
“They attacked me just after my rally at Najoka Primary School. Supporters for Milanzi and Maulana put a huge log on the Linga Masa bridge and stopped me from crossing the bridge. They then started attacking us and injured seven people in the process. We managed to break free in the fight and rushed to Mangochi Police were I took the people injured,” Chikwenga said
He added: “But what surprised me was that the two independents still managed to come to police and started another fight while police looked on? I don’t know what has happened to our police now, they saw the culprits and did not bother to intervene or even arrest them.”
But Milanzi on Monday accused Chikwenga of starting the fight.
“I was not there but my supporters told me that he sent people with pangas and knives to attack them. Since he provoked them, they decided to attack him and his supporters at the bridge,” Milanzi said.
Milanzi admitted that another fight nearly started at the police station because he was angry with the way the minister behaved.
Police headquarters in the capital Lilongwe on Monday confirmed that there was political violence in the constituency and that the two have reported the violence to police, each accusing the other.
“What we are doing right now is to investigate the Sunday violence and find out who started the violence,” police public relations officer Willie Mwaluka said.
This is the second time, Chikwenga’s supporters and Milanzi’s have clashed. They also clashed on February 11, 2004 during the primaries elections in which Chikwenga sustained deep cuts on his head.
UDF primaries were made by violence which has culminated into several of its aspirants breaking ranks to stand as independents.
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