Barely two weeks after parties under the Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) committed to end political violence, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) members were attacked in Dedza District on Friday.
MCP supporters from Msundwe in Lilongwe were on their way from a presidential function in Dedza when they were attacked at Chimbiya in in the district.
MCP spokesperson Jessie Kabwila, in an interview on Sunday, accused the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of carrying out the attack.
She claimed that some of the people who pelted the MCP supporters with stones were clad in DPP cloth and that the area where the violence took place is the home village of DPP vice-president for the Central Region Alfred Gangata.
Kabwila said at least 20 people suffered injuries in the attack, further accusing DPP of not being sincere about ending violence.
She said: “MCP is not surprised with the incident. There was no provocation, the Msundwe boys were actually coming from witnessing a very important event. They actually stopped to buy chips and some items.”
But in a separate interview, DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba distanced his party from the violence and described the accusations as baseless.
He said DPP does not condone violence and accused MCP of trying to tarnish DPP’s image.
Said Namalomba: “MCP is well aware that DPP is the people’s favourite party and will form the next government, that is why they want to associate everything bad with DPP.”
He said MCP ignited the violence at Chimbiya as reports from the area suggest that MCP members assaulted a person at Chimbiya and the communities retaliated.
Political analyst George Chaima has since called on political leaders to be genuinely committed to ending political violence.
He lamented that the political leaders commit to ending violence but do not demonstrate the commitment.
Malawians will vote on September 16 this year,and various stakeholders have called for violence free elections.
