Eyewitnesses reported that Alfred Kadula was taken into custody on Saturday afternoon around 1 PM at his business premises.
They said he was thrown into a Land Cruiser from Area 30 “like a bag of charcoal.”
Kadula is widely known for participating in attacks on opposition members when the Malawi Congress Party was in power from 2020 to 2025, preventing them from holding peaceful roadshows, protests, political meetings, and other events designed to encourage Malawians to register in large numbers in preparation for elections.
Before one such roadshow could commence, opposition members were reportedly assaulted at Mbowe Filling Station.
Activists have frequently been targeted whenever they organized protests in the city, and Kadula has allegedly been involved in many of these incidents.
Civil servants were also reportedly attacked while demanding salary increases during a march from Area 18 to Parliament.
One eyewitness said he wished the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) could remain in power for the next 30 years because, in his view, “looking at the way they have started, Malawi is now quiet and peaceful.”
A small group of residents at Masintha Ground were overheard saying that Kadula would not return from police custody, expressing frustration over his repeated acts of intimidation and violence.
Despite his history of aggression, Kadula is also accused of illegally encroaching on government land belonging to Kawale Primary School, where he established a car-breaking business.
Court orders to stop him and vacate the land reportedly had little effect, as he continued operating the business openly.
Malawi 24 visited the business premises for Alfred Dala Kadula and surrounding neighbors and took several photographs of the alleged encroached piece of land.
It is also reported that Kadula maintained close connections to former Malawi Congress Party cabinet minister Richard Chimwendo Banda.
His arrest marks a significant step by law enforcement to address political violence, intimidation, and illegal land occupation by politically connected individuals in Malawi.
Kadula’s detention highlights the broader challenge Malawi faces in tackling political violence and impunity that have long undermined the country’s democratic institutions.
For years, politically connected individuals have allegedly used intimidation, attacks on opposition members, and threats against civil servants to consolidate influence and disrupt democratic processes.
By taking decisive action against Kadula, authorities have the opportunity to send a strong message that no one is above the law and that political thuggery will not be tolerated.
However, analysts caution that lasting change will require consistent enforcement, stronger institutional oversight, and a national commitment to uphold the rule of law, ensuring that Malawi’s democracy can function free from fear and coercion.
