Public Affairs Committee (PAC) wants to meet President Lazarus Chakwera and his predecessor Peter Mutharika to implore them to rein in their supporters and end politically-connected violence.
PAC spokesperson Bishop Gilford Matonga said in an interview yesterday that the quasi-religious body believes that the political violence in the country is perpetrated by Malawi Congress Party (MCP) of Chakwera and Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), as such, impressing upon the two leaders to take lead in peace efforts would be a step in the right direction.
He said: “We are going to engage the police on promises they made to arrest perpetrators of violence. Of course, President Chakwera has asked for a report from police, but we are not sure about actions he will take after that.
“The issue of violence is between MCP and DPP so we need to re-engage their leaders. We met President Chakwera and Mutharika previously and we intend to make follow up meetings. We will also engage all leaders contesting in the election.”
Matonga said PAC will soon meet Chakwera and Mutharika separately. However, political and security studies experts have called on PAC to bring the two leaders together before the September 16 General Election to thoroughly discuss the matter and give peace a chance.
The proposal comes on the back of violent scenes last Thursday in Lilongwe where panga-wielding assailants descended on protesters from Citizens for Credible Elections who had gathered to demand the resignation of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja and chief elections officer Andrew Mpesi.
During the violence, Malawi Police Service and Malawi Defence Force (MDF) officers were seen at the scene watching as the perpetrators unleashed terror. Later, police threw some rounds of tear gas.
Matonga said besides Chakwera and Mutharika, PAC also plans to bring together all presidential candidates during a peace declaration signing ceremony and prayers after the presentation and approval of nomination papers by MEC.
On the violence against demonstrators, he said the President should consider calls from various stakeholders to fire Minister of Homeland Security Ezekiel Ching’oma and Police Inspector General Merlyne Yolamu.
“People want to hear the President address these issues and reach out to other political parties to call out the violence,” said Matonga.
In a separate interview, political pundit Wonderful Mkhutche said PAC should remind Chakwera and Mutharika that they want to lead the country not for themselves or their parties, but for the good of millions of suffering Malawians.
Governance expert George Chaima noted that PAC has done its best, but that it takes political will for the situation to change.
“PAC should focus on peace building rather than reconciliation, which cannot work at this stage. PAC should remind Chakŵera that we are a democratic State and not a quasi-democratic system with hybrid leadership,” he said.
Presidential press secretary Anthony Kasunda said the President has always opened the doors to dialogue with PAC and continues to value its role in promoting peace, unity and democratic governance in the country.
Mutharika’s spokesperson Shadric Namalomba was yet to respond to our questions by press time.
Meanwhile, security studies expert Sheriff Kayisi said Malawi as a country is much bigger than the two political parties and their leaders, stressing that peace was more important than their political ambitions.
Prior to the assault of protesters in Lilongwe on Thursday, a Joint Electoral Security Task Force met in Mangochi on Monday to discuss security preparedness ahead of the September 16 2025 General Election.
