Legislator Bon Kalindo has warned Parliament that it will see the wrath of Malawians it if it fails to accept people’s demands of enforcing death penalty to convicted criminals in the on ritual killings and abductions of persons with albinism.
Mulanje South lawmaker, Kalindo who led Malawians on Thursday morning to the National Assembly to present petition demanding death penalty activation, said any action taken by the National Assembly on the death penalty demands will show if legislators listen to Malawians or the country's foreign donors.
Speaking to both fellow legislators who gathered outside the House in their large numbers and the largest crowd that walked with him from Area 18 roundabout up to the National Assembly while chanting songs, demanding death penalty and denouncing killings and abductions of persons with albinism, Kalindo said Malawians wants action to achieve maximum protection of persons with albinism.
"Death penalty is an answer to deter the attacks" he said and warned "if you lawmakers do not enforce the law, these Malawians will pounce on you."
Kalindo made an emotional speech highlighting suffering of persons with albinism following the attacks and he asked the legislators to feel the pain experiencing victims and families and to think of pain that parents who a have child with albinism have.
“We need to use this law because it is in our constitution” he emphasized while sobbing that seemed to be dramatic and this sent the crowd into laughter
He then warned Amnesty International not to dictate on what Malawians ought to do with issue of death penalty, “Amnesty International should go to hell, this is a sovereign state, we can do whatever we want to do. So, don’t tell us what to do. Death penalty should be activated in Malawi to end these barbaric killings of our brothers”
He also warned legislators not to be intimidated by donors view on death penalty and also spoke at length on civil society organizations tendency of listening to everything that donors are demanding, in particular, on donor calls to abolish death penalty. He argued that Malawians in 1994 chose to maintain the death penalty in the Constitution because they knew that the law will be a deterrent to malpractice such as the one Malawi is facing at the moment.
Describing the turnout of Malawians, Kalindo said this is a vindication that people are in total support of his idea and are tired with this ugly crime and wants death penalty.
When Kalindo asked the crowd if they support death penalty they loudly replied “Yes!” and Kalindo added that people said this is time for the law to be activated so that persons with albinism who “are being butchered like chickens” should live peacefully.
Honorable Kamlepo Kalua who received the petition, assured the gathering that the House is this evening deliberating on the Anatomy Act which will be complimentary bill to the constitutional provision of death penalty.
“This means that now Parliament will be in control of the situation. This means that as members of Parliament we will not tolerate this heinous crime and we are going to protect persons with albinism in Malawi and this afternoon there is Anatomy bill that is going to backup this section of the constitution of Death Sentence." He assured
"Malawi Parliament is going to discuss that and Malawi Parliament is taking the control of the situation and Malawi Parliament is with our fellow honorable Bon Kalindo, we are behind him and we support him and whatever he has raised in this petition is what is in Anatomy bill and to cement the agreement that we have as members of Parliament" he added later in an interview
Some of the demonstrators have hailed Hon. Kalindo as brave and courageous legislator who puts Malawians at heart.
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