The ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) over the weekend unleashed terror on members of opposition UTM and Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
In two separate incidents over the weekend, DPP cadets severely injured an MCP member and undressed UTM supporters.
In Blantyre on Sunday night, cadets severely assaulted Edward Govati for belonging to the MCP.
Picture shared on social media show that Govati suffered injuries to the face and lost blood.
In Mangochi on Saturday, DPP cadets beat up members of UTM who were going to Namwera in the district to conduct a rally.
According to reports, when the UTM members reached M’baluku, DPP thugs stopped them. The DPP cadets then assaulted the UTM members, forced some of them to undress and stole various items including phones.
UTM spokesperson Joseph Chidanti Malunga said UTM Director of Women in the Eastern Region Mrs Hussein, UTM Regional Director of Youth for Eastern Region Henderson Waya and the Regional Governor were injured after being assaulted.
Meanwhile, Malawians have condemned the DPP for using violence to intimidate members of the opposition ahead of the 2019 elections.
Activist Charles Kajoloweka urged Malawians to hold President Peter Mutharika accountable for the acts of violence.
“This is unacceptable and cannot continue in our democratic Malawi. We must collectively hold Mutharika and his thugs accountable for these acts of terror,” he said.
Lawyer Bright Theu noted that the DPP is using violence to stop other parties from campaigning in certain areas.
He also accused Malawi Police Inspector General Rodney Jose of failing to put in place measures to ensure that members of the opposition are protected even in places that are well-known to police to be hot spots for violence.
“Jose and his men and women abandon the prime duty for which the entire service he leads exists – to protect the rights of people – in this case the rights of anyone to campaign for political office anywhere, and the right of everyone to receive information for purposes of making political choices.
This duty entails that the state through the police must ensure no one such as these rapacious thugs prevents another person from campaigning for political office anywhere in the country and from receiving information with which to make political choices.
“The failure of the state to discharge these duties is a serious breach of the state’s obligations and amounts to violations of the rights concerned.
“Only if our courts too appreciated this and were ready to say nothing less but everything more to make this crystal clear to the thugs of our time, who sadly includes the country’s leaders at various levels,” said Theu.
