By Wesley Macheso
Malawi is a crime scene. This is a place where anything goes and anybody can get away with anything, more especially when they are connected to power.
One would suspect that even our law enforcement is compromised because the authorities in these agencies are directly at the mercy of politicians.
In such circumstances, it is very difficult for law and order to prevail since everybody is protecting their plate. Many are instances when we have seen guard-dogs in this country afraid to bite the hand that feeds them.
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Just a few days ago, the Malawi Police Service and the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) issued a joint statement condemning and warning those who are inciting political violence as we approach the general elections in September.
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For somebody who is just visiting this country for the first time, that statement was honorable and bold enough to demonstrate that these agencies are doing their work.
For those who know very little about this country, the statement was a clear indication that Malawi is a country governed by law and that our security agencies are on their feet lest somebody tries to disturb the peace within our borders.
But for us who know this country and have lived here long enough, we saw that statement for what it was – mere rhetoric.
It is not enough for our security agencies to condemn political violence through press statements when they are not doing anything to stop the same in practice.
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The statement last week came after an opposition party member made a very unpalatable speech that really deserved condemnation and arrest.
There is no excuse for violence, and we must condemn it at every level. The problem only emerges when such condemnation or action against political violence only resurrects when it is the opposition that is involved. The compromise in our security systems lies in such selective justice.
Since the Tonse Alliance, led by the Malawi Congress Party took over power four years ago, there have been spurts of political violence that have not been condemned nor arrested by the Police.
Most of these acts of violence have been registered in the Central Region, and the violence was targeted on those who are seen to oppose the government.
What makes this more scandalous is that the Central Region is generally regarded the headquarters of the ruling party and some of the thugs involved were heard saying that there is no room for opposition in this part of the country.
The first incident involved the hacking of Democratic Progressive Party supporters at Mbowe Filling Station by some “unknown” panga men.
People were brutalized and the place was soaked in blood, but the police never did anything about
- Several months down the line, these dogs who are barking that they will deal with political violence, claim that they have not yet identified those thugs.
Such is how ridiculous they are. A group of thugs can terrorise the capital city and go unidentified by the police.
Most recently, these thugs have been coming out when anti-government demonstrations are planned in the capital city.
This has happened at least on two occasions where we have witnessed criminals in balaclavas wielding machetes, threatening
to kill citizens who are lawfully exercising their democratic rights.
What is more disturbing is that the Police have been pictured standing on the sidelines watching, if not supporting, the political violence.
Them, nor the MDF never condemned such criminality, which they watched in broad daylight. This is what makes their joint statement on political violence a stingless joke.
If we are to maintain peace in this country, our law enforcement must divorce itself from politics. A compromised system is always seen for what it is and can never be trusted by the masses.
We know that these law enforcers carry guns and other dangerous weapons to scare off people, but there can never be any authority behind those weapons if people feel that their intentions are not noble.
We have witnessed sad scenes in other countries where law enforcers have been fought by the masses before, and we do not want that to happen here.
Before condemning political violence in press statements, the big men and women running our security agencies must wash their hands.
