By Vincent Gunde
A Malawi Congress Party (MCP) diehard of Mvera in Dowa district Mr. Rodgers Kamphangala, has advised the MCP to be the last in condemning political violence in the country when itself has failed to arrest the thugs that have been terrorizing and harassing innocent opposition party members and disrupting peaceful demonstrations in Lilongwe.
Kamphangala said the MCP being the only national party in Malawi was supposed to lead by example condemning political violence at all cost for Malawians to see the difference between MCP youth and DPP cadets but this has not happened.
He has noted with a great concern that for 4 years MCP thugs armed with pangas, axes, catapults have been protecting Lilongwe making it to be a no-go zone to activists holding demonstrations but this has received no condemnation from the MCP and President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera himself.
The MCP diehard said for two times, DPP members were hacked with pangas in Lilongwe at the Kamuzu Mausoleum and Mbowe filling station on 24th February, 2024 by MCP thugs disrupting the Blue Convoy parade, this too, has received no condemnations.
He said AFORD members were beaten at Mponela in Dowa by MCP thugs saying even though the identities of the attackers were presented to Police at Mponela for arrests, nothing happened, beating and harassing opposition members have been the order of the day in MCP.
Kamphangala said it is sad that the MCP organized a press conference in Lilongwe to denounce the DPP from inciting political violence following remarks which were made by Mulanje Bale Legislator Victor Musowa in Ndirande Township- Blantyre.
During the rally, Musowa in revenge against MCPs silence in arresting the thugs that have been disrupting peaceful protests in Lilongwe, urged the Ndirande residents not to allow the MCP pronounce their slogan “Kwacha “in Blantyre.
Speaking at the press conference in Lilongwe, MCP Secretary General Richard Chimwendo Banda, appealed to patriotic Malawians, human rights bodies, church organizations and the media not to be silent watching DPP senior members preaching hate speeches in their rallies.
“Arrest the thugs and appeal to patriotic Malawians to be on your side, MCP is in the forefront condoning violence in the country,” said Kamphangala.
He said recently following pressure from the international community after receiving pictures of MCP thugs masked up their faces harassing protesters armed with pangas in Lilongwe, President Chakwera condemned the violence but to this day, no one was arrested because they are all party loyalists.
