The country’s estranged Vice-President Saulos Chilima has alleged that hat some governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) functionaries and Cabinet ministers met and agreed a plot to have him assassinated together with Malawi Congress Party (MCP) presidential candidate Lazarus Chakwera and three other people before the July 02 fresh presidential poll.
Chilima made the claims when he spoke to deliver his eulogies at the funeral ceremony of two family members – Ayiles Tambala and her 11-year-old son Shrinuran – who died after they were petro-bombed as they slept in a UTM Party office in Lilongwe on Monday.
The two victims were buried next to each other in Lilongwe amid sombre mood.
In his remarks, the Vice-President, who has partnered with MCP president Lazarus Chakwera in the fresh presidential election, alleged that his party’s intelligence shows that the political violence is State sponsored.
He maintained that ministers and DPP top brass met and agreed to finance violence against opposition political party supporters and that the meeting also agreed to kill Chilima and also eliminate the MCP torch bearer.
Chilima further claimed those marked for assassination include leader of Citizens for Transformation movement Timothy Mtambo, MCP IT expert Daud Suleman and chairperson of Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) Gift Trapence.
He claimed the assassinations plots symbolises “cowardice of those in positions of power” as Malawians are heading for the July 2 fresh election.
Chilima, who is also UTM Party president, has since challenged Cabinet to prove him wrong.
“I challenged them to refute this when I addressed the news conference. They have not made any rebuttal. I maintain refute this if it’s not true,” said Chilima.
“Go, tell them, record me and give them unedited speech I am making,” he added.
Chilima said: “If the regime thugs succeed to kill me, take my body and bury me at the gates of State House.”
But government spokesman Mark Botomani said there was no assassination plot.
Speaking at the funeral, Chakwera condemned those who petrol-bombed the UTM office while people slept inside.
He called for the police to investigate the incident and ensure that the perpetrators face the law.
“In this country, people are suffering and they are dying because of lack of government care and concern,” he said.
“Our hospitals have turned out to be places to which people go to with little hope of recovering,” he added.
MCP Lilongwe South East member of parliament Nancy Tembo said the people in the area were heartbroken, saying “may the arsonists themselves meet tragic ends.”
The Tambala family lived in the backroom of the UTM Party Lilongwe District office reportedly for free.
Bed-ridden head of the family, Selemani Tambala worked as a security guard at the office premises.