Opposition UTM and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have condemned the attack on peaceful demonstrators in Lilongwe by unknown assailants who wore face masks.
Led by Sylvester Namiwa, the demonstrators, who had gathered at Lilongwe Community Ground to express their displeasure with the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), were brutally attacked by machete-wielding individuals in full view of officers from the Malawi Police Service and the Malawi Defence Force, who failed to intervene.
Furthermore, vehicles belonging to the protesters were set ablaze, escalating the threat to life, property, and the democratic right to dissent.
In a statement released on Thursday, the National Advocacy Platform (NAP) and the Civil Society Elections Integrity Forum (CSEIF) have called on authorities to arrest those behind the attacks.
“Let it be categorically stated that no citizen requires approval to demonstrate peacefully, so long as the provisions of the Constitution of Malawi, including Sections 38 and 37, are followed. These provisions guarantee the right to assemble and demonstrate peacefully and unarmed and the right to freedom of expression, respectively.
“These are further reinforced under Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and Article 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR)—both of which Malawi is a party to. Even when we disagree with the content of a protest, no one has the moral or legal authority to silence dissent through violence or intimidation,” reads a statement signed by NAP and CSEIF chairperson Benedicto Kondowe.
Kondowe has further demanded that the Malawi Police Service should immediately investigate and prosecute all perpetrators of today’s violence, including security officers who abdicated their duty, and decisively restore public trust by acting without fear, favour, or political interference.
“We call on all political parties to unreservedly denounce, disassociate from, and stop the orchestration or endorsement of violence against demonstrators, as such actions amount to an assault on democracy and the rule of law.
“We urge all citizens, especially the youth, to reject being used as instruments of political violence and instead rise as protectors of peace, unity, and constitutional order in defense of Malawi’s democracy. Malawi’s democracy is only as strong as our collective resolve to uphold the rights and dignity of every citizen,” he said.
Meanwhile, UTM president Dalitso Kabambe demanded that President Lazarus Chakwera immediately fire Minister of Homeland Security Ezekiel Ching’oma and Inspector General of Police Merlyne Yolanu.
Failure to do so, Kabambe has threatened that the party will join future demonstrations.
