Opposition politician Bagus house gutted in arson attack

Arsonists believed to thugs of ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Sunday petrol-bombed the house belonging to opposition politician Salim Bagus in the capital Lilongwe.

The arson attack is an ongoing crackdown and campaign against those who have been vocal in calling for change in Bingu wa Mutharika administration.

Police confirmed that Bagus's house was torched and classified the matter as arson.

Central region police spokesman John Namalenga said the blaze at the property was reported to police and they were investigating the matter.

Petrol-bomb: New wave of crackdown on critics to Mutharika government. This pictures shows a n arson attack on Sembereka's house

Bagus, an executive member of People's Party is convinced that the attack had a political motive.

"It must be a political vendetta," Bagus told Nyasa Times.

The incident comes barely a week after the home of human rights defender Rev MacDonald Sembereka was the target of an arson attack on 10 September 2011, in what appears to be an ongoing campaign against critics of President Bingu wa Mutharika.

A similar arson attack occurred at the office of Institute for Policy Interaction on 3 September 2011.

Critics and human rights defenders engaged in pro-reform protests in Malawi have increasingly been the target of physical attacks, threats and intimidation including by the highest political authorities in the country.

President Mutharika has repeatedly made inflammatory statements against civil society leaders involved in mass protests and declared to be ready ‘for war’.

Nyasa Times 19 Sep, 2011

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Source: http://www.nyasatimes.com/national/opposition-politician-bagus%e2%80%99s-house-gutted-in-arson-attack/
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