DPP women’s directorate condemns police shooting of Brenda Saidi

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Navicha

The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Directorate of Women has expressed shock and outrage over the shooting of Brenda Saidi, a dedicated member of the directorate, by police on Saturday, January 11, 2025, at Area 3 Police in Lilongwe.

According to reports, Saidi was shot in the arm by police while visiting Alfred Gangata, DPP Vice President for the central region, who was arrested on Friday. The incident has sparked widespread condemnation, with the DPP Women’s Directorate labelling it a “brutal and draconian” act.

In a statement, Mary Thom Navicha, the party’s National Director of Women, has accused the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) of perpetuating a culture of violence and intimidation against women who oppose their agenda. 

Navicha cited the country’s history, particularly during the one-party era, where women who refused to participate in MCP-sponsored events were subjected to physical abuse and harassment.

The DPP Women’s Directorate has called upon all women and Malawians at large to rise above fear and face what it calls enemies of democracy head-on, saying Malawi belongs to everyone and there is no way some Malawians should live in fear in their own country.

“As Hon Brenda nurses her gunshot wound, Our Directorate would like to state that the blood that Hon Brenda and all other victims that have suffered at the hands of MCP will speak a word on 16 September 2025,” Navicha declared, referencing the upcoming elections.

The directorate has also urged law enforcement officers to remember their professional code of ethics and uphold the rule of law, rather than carrying out instructions that violate human rights.