In a rare show of solidarity, drectors of women from six political parties represented in Parliament are today scheduled to meet Police Inspector General Merelyne Yolamu over police inaction on violence against women.
to end violence. | Nation
The parties are Malawi Congress Party (MCP), Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), United Democratic Front (UDF), UTM Party, People’s Party (PP) and Alliance for Democracy (Aford).
The meeting with the IG was one of the actionable points that came out of a solidarity meeting they held on January 22 2025 where they also expressed concern with police’s inaction.
In a telephone interview yesterday, Oxfam in Malawi country director Lingalireni Mihowa, whose organisation alongside the Women’s Legal Resource Centre (Worlec), are supporting the political party directors of women, confirmed that the meeting will be held at Sunbird Capital this morning.
She said the main agenda is for the women leaders to raise their concern and also hear out the police’s side of the story.
Said Mihowa: “As CSOs [civil society organisations] that provided them with the platform to air out their views we are also here to facilitate this engagement with the IG.”
With support from Oxfam in Malawi and Worlec, the party directors of women on Tuesday night met with senior members of their political parties who included secretaries general as part of efforts to end violence against women in politics.
At the meeting the political parties emptied their chests and accused the police and the IG, in particular, of failing to act on violence.
DPP director of youth Norman Chisale said the meeting with the IG is unlikely to bring any positive results, claiming the police leadership is compromised.
Machinga East member of Parliament (MP) Esther Jolobala (UDF) also said it was no use meeting with the IG, arguing that the police know about these issues but have chosen to look the other way.
But Mangochi Nkungulu MP Aisha Mambo Adams (UDF), who is also Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, said the meeting with the police was necessary just like the one with leaders of political parties.
She said: “In fact, it is political parties that perpetrate political violence. Some of the perpetrators are here.
“Now should we say we are wasting time to meet you because you are perpetrators? It must be noted that police have behaved the same way across regimes; from UDF, DPP, PP and now MCP. We are engaging them so that they can do better instead of giving up.”
Following Adam’s position, there seemed to be a consensus in the room that the meeting with the police is a must but of course pessimism was still noticeable.
When contacted yesterday for her position on th political parties perception of the police, the IG declined to comment, saying she will rather address the meeting.
During both the solidarity meeting last month and the gathering on Tuesday, the directors of women cited political violence targeting women, including the injury to DPP’s Brenda Saidi in Lilongwe, the assault and undressing of MCP women in Ndirande Township, Blantyre, degrading remarks in a video clip on social media against former president Joyce Banda, and social media campaign against Malawi Electoral Commission chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja.
