President Peter Mutharika has openly alleged that Malawi Congress Party (MCP) leader, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera, has ordered some of his followers to catch and kill innocent people who are rumoured to be collecting National Identity Cards (IDs).

Mutharika said this during his national address on Tuesday night on the issues of blood suckers rumours and resurgence of political violence in the country.

Mutharika said: “Sadly, my heart is broken to note that Dr. Reverend Lazarus Chakwera is encouraging these acts of violence.

“As a supposed man of God himself, I want to appeal to Reverend Chakwera’s conscious that we are dealing with God’s people who are already distressed with coronavirus.”

Mutharika also highlighted that the rumours of blood suckers that have rocked some parts of the country “is a political strategy for some people to create fear and panic to suppress people from registering during this period of voter registration exercise”.

MCP spokesperson, Maurice Munthali, asked for more time to come up with the party’s stand.

But commenting on the development, a social and political commentator, Humphrey Mvula, has strongly accused Mutharika for his verbal attack on Chakwera.

“It’s very unfortunate for the president to politicize these issues because this is not Chakwera’s problem but it’s a national issue which requires solution,” said Mvula.

He further suggested that it is time for the head of state to utilize his powers by calling the opposition leaders and other stakeholders to a round table discussion to find solution to the country’s challenges.