EDITORIAL: Malawi Police Are Now a Threat to Democracy; Enough Is Enough—Make the Arrests or Step Aside

In a country supposedly governed by the rule of law, it is an unforgivable betrayal when the very institution mandated to uphold law and order becomes complicit in shielding lawbreakers—especially when those lawbreakers are political thugs terrorizing citizens in broad daylight. The Malawi Police Service has, once again, exposed itself as either disturbingly incompetent or willfully partisan.

Let us not mince words: the police are fueling politically-motivated violence through their shameful inaction. A month ago, before respected voices at a Public Affairs Committee (PAC) summit, Inspector General Dr. Merlyne Yolamu stood tall and promised Malawians that arrests were imminent following investigations into a string of political violence cases. Today, that promise lies in tatters—ignored, forgotten, or buried under the weight of silence from Area 30.

This is not an administrative delay. This is state-sponsored negligence.

What message does it send to the nation when documented perpetrators of violence roam free, emboldened by the knowledge that no handcuffs will ever grace their wrists? It tells us that the Malawi Police are no longer neutral arbiters of justice, but pawns in a dangerous political game—protecting ruling party loyalists while sacrificing victims at the altar of cowardice.

Gift Trapence and the Human Rights Defenders Coalition are absolutely right to raise the alarm. This is not simply about broken promises; it is about institutional rot and the slow, deliberate erosion of democratic accountability. When police leadership cannot even be reached for comment—and when their spokespeople insult the nation with lines like “at an opportune time”—we must ask: What exactly is being covered up?

Let us be clear: every day that passes without arrests is a day Malawi edges closer to political anarchy. The culture of impunity is growing teeth, and the police are feeding it flesh. We cannot afford to normalize this pattern—where violence is met with silence, and the rule of law is bent to serve those with power.

The Malawi Police Service must be reminded that their allegiance is to the Constitution, not to politicians. Their duty is to the people, not to party headquarters.

We demand answers. We demand action. We demand arrests—now.

If Dr. Merlyne Yolamu and her command are unable or unwilling to uphold justice, then the honorable thing to do is resign and let leadership fall to those with the spine to protect the Republic.

Because inaction, in this moment, is complicity. And complicity in political violence is not policing—it is treason.

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