Five days after President Lazarus Chakwera returned from Nigeria amid an order to find reports from security agencies on violent attacks against protesters, there is deafening silence from government.
Writing on his official Facebook page on Saturday, two days after the assault of activist Sylvester Namiwa and others in full view of police and Malawi Defence Force (MDF) officers, the President directed “relevant State agencies to act swiftly and decisively to restore calm as well as to investigate what happened and ensure that all those who violated the law are held accountable”.
He said: “As President, I will be expecting a preliminary report on findings from both the ministers of Homeland Security and Defence upon my return, which will form the basis of further actions we will take to ensure this does not happen again and that the 80 days between now and election day [on September 16 2025] are peaceful and violence-free.”
But when contacted yesterday on the status of the reports as per the President’s directive, presidential press secretary Anthony Kasunda and Minister of Defence Monica Chang’anamuno did not provide responses to The Nation questions. On the other hand, Minister of Homeland Security Ezekiel Ching’oma could not be reached for comment.
The silence from the State House and the two ministries have prompted governance and political pundits to suggest that the conduct smacks of impunity and expressed fear that the road to September 16 General Election could be marred with untamed violence.
In an interview yesterday, Civil Society Elections Integrity Forum chairperson Benedicto Kondowe said the silence suggested a lack of urgency and seriousness from the leadership in addressing acts of political violence.
He said the silence could also be interpreted as either deliberate evasion or institutional paralysis, adding that it raises concerns that impunity is being tolerated or even protected, especially when politically-connected actors are involved.
Said Kondowe: “When a President publicly promises action and follow-up, but remains quiet beyond a reasonable time, it undermines public confidence and sends wrong signals about government’s commitment to security, accountability and justice.
“Non-action poses a serious threat to the credibility and security of the upcoming elections. It can embolden perpetrators of violence, intimidate political opponents, and discourage voter participation due to fear.”
He called on civil society and the media to step up in demanding accountability, promoting peace messaging and monitoring the situation closely.
Political Science Association of Malawi spokesperson Mabvuto Bamusi added that the silence was an indication that the violence was politically-sponsored.
He alleged that the President could be shielding some powerful elites.
Said Bamusi: “Further, the silence also means that police is an accomplice to these atrocities. Police promised action during the Public Affairs Committee [PAC] conference, but sadly it is all hypocrisy from the State security agencies.
“The 16 September elections could happen in an environment of fear and threats. Sadly, violence is a form of electoral fraud and it is a form of vote rigging.”
On his part, political pundit Wonderful Mkhutche opined that the directive by the President was to save the government and Malawi Congress Party’s face after the international community’s condemnation of the violence.
“We have been here before, and we should not expect any further decisive action from the President and concerned authorities. The silence is to avoid exposing the clandestine organisation that involves disrupting demonstrations,” he said.
In a separate interview, Human Rights Consultative Committee board chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba also said while the President may have condemned the violence on Facebook, a physical statement would have given Malawians hope and confidence in their safety.
“This silence or non-action on the part of the President will be interpreted to mean he is party to the omission and remains conflicted of the offence! This will erode the trust people had in him and government resulting in lawlessness and anarchy,” he said.
Minister of Information and Digitalisation Moses Kunkuyu, the official government spokesperson, said Malawians are being made to dance to the tunes of desperate politicians who lack political ideologies.
“Let us deal with the root causes. Politicians must come out of this hide and seek, develop clear ideologies based on which they can attract a following and not sponsor demonstrations that attract different reactions from those who feel aggrieved,” he said.
Panga-wielding assailants on June 26 descended on protesters from Citizens for Credible Elections at Lilongwe Community Centre ground, the planned starting point of demonstrations to demand the resignation of Malawi Electoral Commission chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja and chief elections officer Andrew Mpesi for allegedly failing the nation in terms of preparations for the elections.
Besides local rights watchdogs, the international community has also condemned the violence with the European Union threatening to withdraw aid.
Despite the ugly scenes happening in full view of police and MDF officers and video footage showing the same, National Police spokesperson Peter Kalaya told yesterday’s edition of The Nation that police were “still investigating” and that no arrests have been made to date.
