The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) have blamed the Malawi Police Service for continued cases of political violence, warning if such cases continue on the law enforcers’ watch, the country will turn lawless.
They were reacting in separate interviews to reports of attacks on Sunday against DPP members by people who mounted an illegal roadblock at Mpingu along the Mchinji Road, where they were checking vehicles that were heading to a DPP rally.
In an interview yesterday, HRDC chairperson Gift Trapence called on the police to rise above partisan politics and ensure that perpetrators of political violence are arrested.
He said: “This is not the first time we are seeing political violence. It was the same in the 2019 and 2020 elections, but police did not do anything.
“We are not surprised that even now, the police are failing to be professional and arrest perpetrators of political violence. This is unacceptable in a democracy.”
DPP secretary general Peter Mukhito, who is also a former Inspector General of Police, called on the police leadership to protect all Malawians without fear or favour.
He said: “It is unheard of to have civilians mount road blocks close to a police road block and attack others in full view of the police.
“My request to police leadership is just resign and go out. This is not the multiparty system we want as a nation. This is not the direction we want as a nation.”
He further warned that opposition parties’ frustrations over the way police is handling political violence will promote no-go zones, which will be dangerous for the country’s democracy eapecially in the election period.
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) spokesperson Jessie Kabwila and MCP secretary general Richard Chimwendo Banda did not pick up their phones when called for comment.
However, MCP has also recently complained of political violence, including a recent attack on the presidential convoy in the Lower Shire.
National Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya wondered why the police was being blamed for political violence.
In an interview yesterday, he said political parties or politicians have the responsibility to prevent political violence, but some politicians tend to ignite violence.
