MCP dodge victims of their atrocities demanding justice

Thousands of victims of violence and atrocities committed by Malawi Congress Party (MCP) during the one-party rule.are due to present a petition to Parliament demanding justice.

In response, MCP has changed the launch of its manifesto away from Bingu International Conference Centre (BICC) which is close to the place where the victims will camp waiting for answers.

After submission of petition, victims plan to camp at the graveyard of former President Kamuzu Banda next to Parliament and the BICC where MCP would launch its elections manifesto.

The people, who have never been compensated, are demanding justice from Parliament and MCP to address them.

Haunted by fear of reparations, most of the victims also want an assurance that MCP would not repeat victimising more Malawians if they take over power again.

Millions of Malawians died and suffered for 30 years when MCP killed, tortured, dispossessed and banned innocent people from their own country. Unlucky souls were fed to crocodiles or dissolved in drums of acid so that you would completely disappear without a trace.

If you were a son or daughter of the state victim, you were not allowed to attend any school in Malawi unless you disguised yourself by changing your name.

The Ombudsman of Malawi has on record 22,000 living victims who are still demanding justice from their perpetrators.

MCP used  para-military wing  Malawi Young Pioneers  (MYP) and notorious  youth leagues to kill, torture and victimise innocent people.

Instead, the current MCP under the leadership of Lazarus Chakwera have been pushing Parliament for the compensation of the killers instead of pushing for the compensation of the victims themselves.

This policy position of Chakwera and the current  MCP has raised fears that the party does not care about Malawians they victimised. Some have raised fears that the MCP is unrepentant and would under Chakwera victimise more people if given power.

Analysts are wondering how the MCP manifesto will address the victims question.

Chakwera is on record to have asked for forgiveness for atrocities committeda t the height of the 31-year-old reign of MCP which was blighted by arbitrary detentions, killings, expulsions and disappearances of those opposed to founding president  Kamuzu Banda who is immortalised by the party as his face continue to appear on party cloth.

But Chancellor College-based analyst Edge Kanyongolo said the forgiveness must be preceded by “full confession.”

He said:  “People who suffered at the hands of MCP rule are willing to forgive, but those who victimised Malawians do not seem willing to confess all that they did during Kamuzu’s rule.”

 

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