Putting Down Wheels

By+Edwin+Nyirongo

shortage of vehicles in the Malawi Police Service （MPS） is not news in the country as officers complain about it every day.

The issue became more intense in September 2017， however， when rumors of bloodsuckers， real-life human vampires who take blood from their victims， spread in the south region of the country. Belief in witchcraft is widespread in parts of Malawi. People are concerned for their safety and accused police of not responding to their calls on time.

“We saw something strange at my house， but when I called the police， they assured us that they would come. Indeed they came， but five hours later，” said Mercy Jafali from Traditional Authority Mabuka in Mulanje， one of the districts most affected by bloodsucking rumors. Assistant Superintendent Beston Zawanda from Mulanje Police Station acknowledged the delay in responding to peoples calls. He， however， blamed this on a shortage of vehicles.

“We indeed received numerous calls about blood-sucking reports， but we responded late because of mobility challenges. We have one vehicle that covers the whole district and sometimes this vehicle is away on other assignments，” said Zawanda.

Mzimba， the biggest district in Malawi， is facing the same problem. Its Officer in Charge Ackis Angello Muwanga revealed at a District Crime Prevention Symposium that they were operating without a vehicle because it had been involved in an accident.

Such stories about inadequate police transport are the same almost everywhere across the country.

Wheels arrive

To help with this shortage of police vehicles， Malawi received an early Christmas gift on December 11 when the Chinese Government handed over 100 China-made vehicles to the MPS. These comprise of two Zhongtong brand buses， three Dongfeng brand cargo trucks， 15 BAIC brand cars and 60 pickups， 10 SUVs and 10 mini-vans all made by Foton. The vehicles are valued at about $4 million according to the Chinese Embassy in Malawi.

Malawis Inspector General of Police Lexten Kachama said at the handover ceremony at National Police headquarters in Lilongwe， the countrys capital， that the vehicles were donated with spare parts that are expected to last two years， thus making their maintenance less costly. Kachama also acknowledged the transport challenges the police were facing.

“Most police stations had mobility challenges and the few stations that had vehicles spent huge sums of money maintaining them because they were procured a long time ago，” he said.

The police chief reiterated the roles transport and communication play in ensuring the protection of peoples lives and pro perty. He gave an example of criminal investigations which， he observed， require a lot of mobility.

It was all smiles and relief for Malawis President Arthur Peter Mutharika as he commended China for the vehicles.

Mutharika admitted that the police could not work effectively without what he described as “an efficient transport system.”

The vehicles handover formed part of the celebrations for the 10th anniversary of the establishment of China-Malawi diplomatic relations. Attending the celebrations was China Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Chen Xiaodong. Chen said that as the diplomatic relations between China and Malawi take root， he hoped the vehicles donation would help the MPS provide better public security service， which would in turn help improve the investment environment， making the country more attractive to foreign investors wanting to come to Malawi， who include Chinese investors.

“The vehicles have been specifically fitted for security purposes because they have built in communication radios and other technical equipment that aid police transportation while exercising their duties，”said Chen.

Mutharika appealed to the police to look after the vehicles and use them for their intended purposes. He warned that anyone found in corrupt practices with the police vehicles will be held accountable.

“We have already issued directives on the management and maintenance of these vehicles. Any abuse will be met with serious sanctions，” assured Kachama.

To ensure the vehicles are optimally utilized and managed， police drivers and mechanics have already undergone training， according to Kachama.

Variety of projects

While police vehicles are a welcome relief to restoring social services by improving safety and security， Malawi has seen a number of projects launched since establishing diplomatic ties with China on December 28， 2007. The first project was a road connecting the border districts of Chitipa and Karonga. The previous arduous journey has been reduced from four hours to one hour.

In addition to roads， other projects like the Malawi University of Science and Technology， which has helped increase the number of public universities and student enrollments， the spacious Bingu International Conference Center， Parliament building and the modern Bingu National Stadium have been built.

More projects earmarked for the commercial city of Blantyre include a ring road， a five-star hotel park， upgrading Chileka International Airport and construction of Kammwamba Coal-Fired Power Station that will generate more than 300 megawatts of electricity.

“We also appreciate the commitment of the Chinese private sector， which has been investing in this country since 2007，” said Mutharika.

Chen reiterated Chinas commitment to continuing supporting Malawis development agenda. “We are going to strengthen our coopera tion in areas including infrastructure， agriculture， hotel and people-to-people exchanges and education， among others，” he said.