BLANTYRE--Wearing a badge bearing the face of late president Bingu wa Mutharika, an outspoken regional governor for the DPP North, Christopher Ngwira, was booted out of the Ngoni Umthetho cultural event on Saturday in Mzimba by police officers who were acting on instructions from unidentified government officials.

Ngwira was quoted by The Daily Times as saying that several police officers whom he didn’t name approached him to demand that he leaves the place or else remove the badge.

The cultural event was happening in his Hora constituency.

Ngwira said he only left the scene after police threatened to kick him out by force if he didn’t leave on his own.

He said supporters of the DPP were also stopped from attending the event in their party colours yet those of the governing People's Party of Pres Joyce Banda wore theirs.

Ngwira said the organisers of the event, Mzimba Heritage Foundation, publicly acknowledged his contribution of K50,000, chickens, oil and other items to the event, a move which he suspects annoyed some government officials.
---
©2012 The Maravi Post. Reproduction authorised, with usual acknowledgment.