Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Serving soldiers driving DPP buses, wearing party t-shirts

The newly bought DPP buses are being driven by serving Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers Nyasa Times has established. 

The drivers, according to our sources, were even forced to put on DPP blue T-shirts a development which was adjacent to the laws guarding soldiers that are still serving in the army. 

"We are not against our friends driving the buses since there are already some from the army who started driving the Head of State way back in 2005 but we don't like the fact that they are forced to wear DPP clothes," said a military source 

Others sources have claimed that the bus which is being driven by a serving soldier is the one which carries President Bingu Wa Mutharika. 

"I do not know about other buses but what I know is that only the bus which carries the H.E (His Excellency) is the one driven by a serving soldier but it is true that all drivers including from other buses and Hummers are wearing DPP blue T-shirts," a State House source confirmed. 

Despite being registered voters soldiers and officers from the MDF are not allowed to wear any party colour or even attend any political party rallies are it for the ruling party except when they are on official duty. 

Rallies for the former President Bakili Muluzi have been patronised with intelligence officers including those from the army.

Currently government has recruited more female soldiers who are deployed in various rallies by the opposition leaders. 

The development comes after Inspector General of Police Oliver Kumbambe was fired because of questioning the presence of a police band at DPP rally addressed by Mutharika. 

The drivers are both from the ranks of Warrant Officers class II and Warrant Officers class I which according to the British military ranking system the later is the highest before being commissioned as an officer after undergoing officer cadet course. Malawi adopted the British military ranking system.

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