A court in Kasungu has ordered 15 game rangers and forestry guards to stay in remand for ten days to allow police conclude investigations into their case.

The 15 were arrested on charges of acts intended to cause grievous harm after they allegedly assaulted civilian women in a forest in that district.

The arrests followed a video clip that went viral in the social media depicting some game rangers and forestry guards forcing a helpless woman heavily whip another laying belly down.

The women had apparently been caught picking firewood in the protected forest.

It later transpired that this was in Chimaliro forest in Kasungu district and that more people than the two in the video had been subjected to the alleged assault.

Some of the game rangers and forestry guards were also allegedly wearing police uniform.

Senior resident magistrate, Biar Kamanga, has since adjourned the matter to October 12 for plea.

Opposition Democratic Progressive Party National Director of Operations, Reverend Mwai Kamuyambeni says he has quit the position and the party with immediate effect.

But Kamuyambeni, a former legislator for Ntcheu West constituency, refused to discuss his next destination as a politician.

“I am thankful to President Peter Mutharika for giving me an opportunity to learn politics in the DPP.

“It is now time for me to move on and use what I have learnt to serve people of Malawi in another capacity.

“I shall be disclosing where I will be next in the next few days,” he said.

In the meantime, DPP spokesperson, Brown Mpinganjira says he does not immediately have a comment on the development as he was yet to see the official communication.

Since the loss Mutharika suffered at the June fresh presidential election, senior members of the party have been jumping ship to the opposition UTM, MCP and Aford.

This is coming at a time a leadership fight is emerging in the party with calls for an elective convention.

DPP vice president for the South Kondwani Nankhumwa and the party vice president for the centre, Uladi Mussa, are said to be the interested prospective party presidency contenders.

Inkosi ya Makhosi Gomani 5, the Ngoni leader in Ntcheu says child marriages are on the rise in his jurisdiction and he will re-engage traditional leaders under him to ensure that the vice is eliminated.

Gomani V, who is a World Vision ambassador on end child marriage campaign, told a chiefs’ council in Ntcheu yesterday the trend is worrisome.

“We have a responsibility to ensure that this is put to an end. That every child is in school not married.

“All traditional leaders here will need to know this and do something about it now not later,” says Inkosi Gomani the 5^th.

But Vice chairperson for Ntcheu Health Service Committee, Councilor Ezra Mike, says communities there are resisting efforts to end the vice.

“It is unfortunate that some communities are reacting this way,” says Mike.

The on-going parliamentary by-election campaign in has exposed CFT membership political allegiance which has potential to split the renowned political pressure group.

Some CFT leaders convened a press briefing in Lilongwe on Tuesday to attempt to explain that as a group, the political grouping is supporting the MCP in the current campaign.

However, there is an off-shoot CFT group in Karonga district that has openly said it is supporting the UTM.

CFT leaders Timothy Mtambo, who is also minister of Civic Education and National Unity has openly backed the MCP in the on-going parliamentary by-elections campaign.

UTM and MCP went to June polls together in what has come to be called the Tonse Alliance to unseat President Peter Mutharika and Mtambo used the CFT to help campaign for the Tonse Alliance.

The successful mission resulted in MCP leader Dr. Lazarus Chakwera becoming the state president and UTM president Dr. Saulos Chilima becoming the state vice president.

The two political parties now face off in by-elections in five constituencies where each hopes to carry the day.