Betrayal in broad daylight: Namiwa attacker was trusted ally

In a shocking twist to one of Malawi’s most high-profile political attacks this year, an investigation by the Platform for Investigative Journalism (PIJ) has revealed that one of the assailants who nearly killed activist Silvester Namiwa on June 26 was a man he once considered a friend and associate.

The report, titled “Pangas and Politics: The Men Who Nearly Killed Namiwa,” identifies Nelson Chipokosa, a former nightclub bouncer and longtime Lilongwe resident, as a key figure in the machete-wielding mob that ambushed Namiwa. Video footage from the scene captured Chipokosa alongside Steve Kadammanja, another alleged enforcer tied to a shadowy group of hired muscle reportedly operating under political orders.

Chipokosa’s involvement has stunned those who knew him. Several gym-goers and acquaintances told PIJ that he often boasted of having a close relationship with Namiwa. “He used to say they were friends and even talked on the phone,” one source said. “I couldn’t believe it when I saw him in the video attacking Silvester. It felt like a nightmare.”

When contacted by PIJ, Namiwa offered a measured response, acknowledging that he may have worked indirectly with Chipokosa through hired security teams. But when pressed about their alleged phone contact, the outspoken activist refused to go into detail. “Let me not speak about those things,” he said cautiously.

Footage of the June 26 assault shows Chipokosa wearing a blue shirt and a camouflage bucket hat as he helps lead the violent ambush. He is believed to have been one of the men trying to force Namiwa into an unregistered Toyota Fortuner, an act that came dangerously close to turning an attack into a kidnapping.

Further adding to suspicions, Chipokosa, once a fixture in Lilongwe’s nightlife security scene, abruptly left his job before starting construction on a house in Area 23. Some former colleagues allege that his new lifestyle may have been financed by political missions, including the attempted silencing of Namiwa. When contacted by PIJ, Chipokosa cut the call short and angrily demanded to know how his number was obtained.

Beyond the personal betrayal, the PIJ investigation points to a deeper crisis of political violence. Despite video evidence, eyewitness accounts, and named suspects, authorities have made no arrests. PIJ sources within the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP) allege that senior party officials, possibly cabinet ministers, sanctioned the attack, allegedly allocating up to K70 million to disrupt Namiwa’s protests.

As national outrage mounts, and President Lazarus Chakwera pledges action, the chilling betrayal at the heart of the assault has come to symbolise a broader erosion of trust and safety in Malawi’s democratic space. One human rights advocate summed it up grimly: “When friends turn into attackers, it shows just how deep and personal this political rot has become.”