BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—A wave of terror attacks happening in the central region has ignited a fierce blame game between the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and opposition allies Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and UTM following the former’s claim that the two main opposition parties are behind the attacks.
On Sunday, DPP secretary general Greselder Jeffrey issued a statement in which she accused the two entities together with the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) of launching a new wave of terror by attacking their supporters in the Central Region districts of Lilongwe and Dedza.
“These sad events, recent attacks and terror activities, are targeting our DPP governors and DPP leaders in various villages across Lilongwe and Dedza. We have received reports that DPP supporters are living in fear and some have abandoned their homes, they have fled their villages, and are currently in hiding,” she said.
Jeffrey said DPP has employed special measures, which she declined to reveal, to ensure safety of their supporters including linking up with law enforcement agencies to bring to book all perpetrators of the violence.
Reacting, MCP secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka has since described the remarks as nonsense and mere propaganda from the governing DPP.
In an interview with The Nation, Mkaka claimed the opposition apprehended some people who confessed to have been sent by DPP to buy national identity cards (IDs) in the pretext that the holders will benefit from Malawi Enterprise Development Fund (Medf) loans. He said the conduct is suspicious as the country awaits the fresh presidential election on July 2 this year.
“This is sheer nonsense and useless propaganda. Citizens and our people have apprehended youths that are collecting national IDs from voters. Those apprehended have confessed to having been sent by DPP.
“Yet, here is a whole secretary general lying with a straight face that those going out are Medf officials when Medf has distanced itself from the practice. We just want to tell the DPP that we are vigilant and we will not allow them to play with the people’s right to choose a leader of their choice,” he said as quoted by the paper.
On his part, HRDC vice-chairperson Gift Trapence said the lawlessness that DPP is complaining about is of the governing party’s own making.
He said: “I am not surprised that it’s coming from a political party that does not respect the separation of powers in a government system. A party that thinks that Malawians are fools. Let them address real issues of thugs who are being sent to move around villages to rob poor Malawians of their national IDs while promising them Medf loans.”
Trapence further warned DPP against dragging HRDC into party politics, saying the coalition is a human rights body and a people’s movement.
Meanwhile, National Registration Bureau spokesperson Norman Fulatira says keeping someone’s national ID is an offence, according to Section 15 (1) of the National Registration Act.
