DPP Cadets attack MCP members at Chilembwe memorial: Malawi govt in panic mode as political violence resurfaces

Politial violence reared its ugly head again on Sunday when regime thugs operating as members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) youth cadets attacked members of opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) at Providence Industrial Mission (PIM) where people from all walks of life gathered to celebrate the life of the Reverend John Chilembwe.

The notorious Cadets, dressed in their DPP regalia, started beating the opposition members in full view of the Malawi police after President Peter Mutharika, who was in attendance, had left the venue.

Their target was leader of opposition Lazarous Chakwera, who is also MCP president but his security detail shielded him from the barbarism.

Private-station Zodiak radio reported earlier about rumours that the cadets had set up a barricade on one of the routes to the venue where they vowed that they will not allow opposition members from going to the function.

Three people were conscipiously seen to be badly wounded and one was rushed to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre for treatement

MCP deputy secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka said the resurfacing of politically motivated violence is a sign DPP is in serious panic mode over its failure to handle the economy and widespread accusation of corruption in which they are just shielding its members from facing the law.

“The DPP is getting worried and paranoid with each passing day over its misrule, corruption scandal after scandal and fears the situation might trigger uprisings,” Mkaka said.

He condemned political violence by DPP, saying it is “worrisome” and that the ruling party should have with better strategies to win back hearts of Malawians by serving them better.

Mkaka said MCP is hopeful that democratic change in Malawi is beckoning.

But DPP acting secretary general Francis Mphepo dismissed the violence as being perpetrated by his party, saying it was MCP fighting themselves using DPP regalia.

Government spokeman Nicholous Dausi also said it was “mere political fallacy” for MCP to claim that violence was work of regime thugs.

But Mkaka said Dausi should stop being “blabber –mouth” politician.

Sadly, DPP violence occurred at historim PIM where its father and founder, John Chilembwe, led an uprising in 1915 when most African natives were in their political slumber to protest against oppressive governance system perpetrated by white settlers.

Chilembwe, who was born in 1871, defied all odds to go to America when he was 26 with missionary Joseph Booth in 1897 where he studied at Virginia Theological College and obtained bachelor of arts and bachelor of theology degrees in 1898. Armed with a cornucopia of knowledge, Chilembwe returned home and bought 94 hectares of land in Sub-Traditional Authority Onga (ST/A) in Chiradzulu and successfully established PIM in 1900, almost 20 kilometers from the Boma.

Poor governance system characterised by brutality on natives forced Chilembwe to rebel against the despotic colonial government. He did not want to kowtow to the whims of the white settlers which impinged on natives’ inalienable rights.

He, therefore, led the Chilembwe Uprising in 1915 in protest against the human rights abuses which the white settlers perpetrated on the natives. He particularly protested against unfair wages on blacks, unfair treatment of black workers in white owned estates and conscription of Africans to fight in the First World War in Europe.

Sadly, the uprising led to his untimely death in February 1915.