Namalomba (R) with Mchacha
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has claimed that its Regional Governor for the Southern Region, Charles Mchacha, was attacked for criticising the Tonse Alliance government.
DPP spokesperson Shadreck Namalomba as made the claim in a statement following the attack on Mchacha in Thyolo on Wednesday.
Namalomba added that they are told that a group of 15 thugs, riding on two vehicles forcefully stopped Mchacha while he was driving to his house. They then descended on him with panga knives.
“Like a hangman, they asked him to say his last prayer as their mission was to send him to his maker. His crime, they said, is because he has been critical of the current government as a regional governor of the Democratic Progressive Party,” he said.
He added that the threats as vividly narrated by the Mchacha bring memories of brutality and fear that became part of daily life for struggle for multi-party and democracy in the former one-party rule of Malawi Congress Party.
“With the Tonse Government on the driving seat, Malawians are now beginning to live in fear. If it is not fear of being hacked and killed, it is fear of not knowing whether one will live to see tomorrow. It is the fear of not knowing whether we will afford to buy basic necessities such as soap, salt , sugar and cooking oil because prices are rising every minute; It is the fear that has gripped our farmers for they know not if they will afford to buy a bag of fertilizers as the price of the precious commodity is on a free-fall,” he said
He claimed that the current government does not want to listen to constructive advice but the Democratic Progressive Party believes in free speech and association, as espoused in the supreme law of the land, the Malawi Constitution.
“We condemn this barbaric action on Hon Mchacha. We call upon the security institutions to investigate and bring to book these enemies of our had won democracy. We do not want to believe that these thugs were sent by those that are leading the Tonse Government,” he said.
He added that if indeed it is true that the attack is from the current government, then what remains of them is to express their grave disappointment and call upon President Lazarus Chakwera and his government demonstrate mature politics that resonate with a democratic nation by encouraging criticism and dissenting views from its citizens.
