Malawi’s Vice-President and president of the new party UTM said on Friday that he has uncovered a government plot to assassinate him and his party leaders.

Saulos Chilima told a mammoth crowd in Mwanza where he held a political rally on Friday under the banner of UTM that there is a plan by the ruling party Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led government to assassinate him.

“Actually, I have seen one of the assassins at Tsangano. When he saw that I have seen him, he disappeared. Let me warn the intelligence agents and the Home Security ministry officials that I know that I am their target for assassination but they will not succeed, these are amateurs,” he said.

Chilima said it was a “fact” that he and UTM top brass are on a hit list, but said the source of the information was confidential.

He told the police in Lilongwe that they should not write him over the matter, saying he will not respond to the letter.

“I have the list of the assassins and I have shared it with my friends so that if anything happens to me, they should know who have done it,” he said.

The UTM leader said he has credible information that the DPP has hired assassins from within Malawi to assassinate him through poison, staged accident or bullet.

“People like John Chilembwe shed their blood for the good of Malawi and I am ready to die for my Malawi. They can kill us and eat our flesh anywhere they want. After all, they are known for killing those with dissenting views,” he said.

Chilima also said he is vying for the presidency in order to stem graft, nepotism, tribalism, regionalism, cronyism, favouritism, plunder of public resources, arrogance and impunity.

He received an outstanding ovation throughout out his speech.

Nyasa Times