Renowned governance and political analyst Wonderful Mkhutche says that incidents of irate mobs stoning presidential convoys are a result of divided political strongholds, emphasizing the porosity of Malawian politics.
On Thursday, President Lazarus Chakwera had a rude awakening at Nkhanthe trading centre in Chikwawa, where his motorcade was stoned by an angry mob after Malawi Congress Party supporters allegedly removed Democratic Progressive Party flags.
This incident is not an isolated event, as former President Peter Mutharika’s convoy was also stoned in the past. In 2019, he was forced to change his route in Lilongwe after an irate mob blocked his way.
Mkhutche attributed the recent incident to heightened political tensions ahead of the 2025 tripartite elections. He noted that the country is dividing itself into traditional voting blocks, where President Chakwera and the MCP are unpopular in the south, leading to the incident.
While condemning the incident, Mkhutche emphasized that the President deserves respect for his position as the first citizen. He stated: “The incident falls within the same considerations as the previous ones. Former President Mutharika was stoned in the central region, and President Chakwera has been stoned in the south. These incidents are happening due to political strongholds, and this simply tells us that our politics remains porous.”
Mkhutche further added that some Malawians are unhappy with the present government’s failures and party politics, a reality that President Chakwera cannot ignore. “This is the reality the President cannot run away from and it is his responsibility to address this,” Mkhutche added.
He concluded by saying that as Malawi moves towards the 2025 elections, leaders must address the underlying issues driving political tensions and work towards creating a more inclusive and respectful political environment.
