CCJP urges community leaders, chiefs to lead violence prevention interventions

The Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) has urged community and traditional leaders to assume a greater role in preventing political violence and ensuring peaceful coexistence among people as the country prepares for the September 16, 2025, General Elections.

CCJP Lilongwe Project Officer Mwai Chisi observed that chiefs could easily take advantage of their influence within communities to promote peace, mediate disputes, and encourage peaceful participation in the electoral process.

Chisi made the sentiments last weekend when the Commission conducted whistle-stop tour civic and voter education rallies in Dowa and Ntchisi districts.

With financial support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), CCJP is conducting civic and voter education in 14 districts of Dowa, Ntchisi, Kasungu, Ntcheu, Chiradzulu, Mulanje, Thyolo, Phalombe, Neno, Mwanza, Zomba, Machinga, Chikwawa and Nsanje, countering misinformation, promoting civic responsibility, and ensuring the popularization of electoral laws.

Speaking at Kawale Village in the area of Traditional Authority Kayembe in Dowa, Chisi urged community and traditional leaders in Dowa and Ntchisi districts to utilize their established authority to foster social cohesion, disseminate messages of non-violence, and ensure that electoral processes are inclusive and fair.

“You hold the key to peaceful electoral processes. And you can achieve that by giving the contestants equal opportunities when the campaign rolls out,” she said.

And speaking at Chorwe Trading Centre in T/A Kalumo in Ntchisi, CCJP Governance Officer Felix Kagawa Nakoma called for tolerance among contenders as well as party followers, stressing that this is crucial to achieving free and peaceful elections.

Nakoma pledged the Commission’s vigilance in dispelling misinformation surrounding electoral processes.

Meanwhile, CCJP Acting Archdiocesan Secretary Fletcher Mbewe pledged that through targeted interventions, the Commission will ensure that citizens, particularly those at the grassroots level in are well-informed about electoral procedures, deadlines, and their rights.

Mbewe said the initiative seeks to address voter apathy by emphasizing the importance of participating in elections and making informed choices.

“To make voter education more engaging and memorable, local theatre groups will perform interactive dramas and storytelling sessions during community gatherings. These performances will depict common scenarios in the electoral process (e.g., registration, voting day behavior) and how individuals can navigate them effectively. The skits will use culturally relevant themes and settings to make the process of voting relatable and easy to understand for community members, fostering greater community involvement in the electoral process,” he said.