Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has warned Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) against organising anti-government protests, saying it will not hesitate to “fight back” any demonstrations.
Speaking during a Blue Alliance Thank You Rally at Nchalo, Chikwawa on Saturday, DPP member Mike Chitenje said the party would defend President Peter Mutharika’s leadership, arguing that he should be allowed to govern peacefully.
“If HRDC wants to organise demonstrations against this government, we will not just watch. We will fight back to protect our President and ensure peace,” he told supporters.
Chitenje’s remarks come against the background of violent incidents reported during previous demonstrations, including attacks on protesters such as activist Sylvester Namiwa during the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) administration.
Commenting on the matter, Andrew Kaponya, a development and governance scholar at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences, condemned Chitenje’s remarks, warning that such statements have the potential to incite violence.
He further observed that some members of the DPP appear to be acting contrary to President Peter Mutharika’s efforts to promote peace and unity.
Said Kaponya: “Considering the decisions the President has made so far, including the arrest of people suspected to have assaulted [suspended] MBC [Malawi Broadcasting Corporation] director general George Kasakula, he has demonstrated democratic maturity. I don’t think Mr Chitenje’s sentiments represent the views of the President who really wants to unite Malawians.”
However, he also challenged HRDC, saying the coalition’s silence during the MCP administration raised questions about its impartiality.
“While Mr Chitenje’s remarks are regrettable, HRDC’s silence during the Malawi Congress Party’s administration was questionable. A lot happened, including the attacks on fellow activists, but they didn’t take action. As human rights defenders, they are supposed to be neutral,” said Kaponya.
Last month, Mutharika drew sharp criticism for threatening unspecified action against civil society leaders allegedly planning anti-government demonstrations.
Speaking in Mangochi where he mostly lived following his 2020 electoral defeat, the President claimed to have intelligence that unnamed civil society organisations were plotting to carry out protests aimed at destabilising his administration.
During the thank you rally, Second Vice-President Enock Chihana, who was the guest of owner and DPP vice-president for the South Joseph Mwanamvekha, expressed government’s commitment to complete development projects that stalled in the Shire Valley districts of Chikwawa and Nsanje.
The projects include Shire Valley Transformation Programme and Thabwa-Fatima Road, also known as the East Bank Road, among others.
