By Ntata Stinger
Norman Chisale reportedly has a warning for UTM: if its members continue “moving from place to place”, “we are about to start whipping people.”
He even reportedly asked chiefs for their blessing.
Ordinarily, one might dismiss this as the familiar excess of a party politician intoxicated by a microphone.
There is one rather large problem. Norman Chisale is Deputy Minister of Homeland Security apparently responsible for Operations. And UTM members “moving from place to place” conducting politics are not committing some offence against the Republic. They are exercising constitutional rights.
Section 39 guarantees freedom of movement. Section 40 guarantees the right to participate in political parties, campaign for political causes and engage in peaceful political activity intended to influence government.
The constitutional irony is therefore extraordinary.
The ministry whose security machinery should protect opposition politicians while they exercise those freedoms now has a Deputy Minister publicly talking about whipping them for exercising them.
This is no longer simply a question of bad political language. It is a question of whether Mr Chisale understands where Norman Chisale the DPP politician ends and Honourable Norman Chisale, Deputy Minister of the Republic, begins.
That distinction matters enormously. The Constitution goes so far as to prohibit government or political parties from causing Police officers to use their functions to promote or undermine a political party.
It requires the Police to protect political parties and citizens equally, without fear or favour.
A Homeland Security Minister therefore occupies the very governmental space constitutionally required to stand between political disagreement and political intimidation. He cannot simultaneously become its source.
Mr Chisale may believe he was speaking as a DPP politician.
Unfortunately, constitutional office does not come with an OFF switch for political rallies. When a party operative says, “We will whip you,” it is political thuggery.
When a Deputy Minister responsible for Homeland Security Operations says it to an opposition party because its members are travelling around conducting politics, it raises a much more serious question: Is the person constitutionally entrusted with protecting their political freedom now threatening them for exercising it?
Malawi has travelled this road before. We should recognise the signposts.
Hon. Chisale, Homeland Security is supposed to protect political freedom; not threaten to whip it.
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