Regime thugs petrol-bomb MCP offices: Analyst says Malawi needs another ‘Operation Bwezani’

Suspected regime thugs have  burnt down the Southern Region  office of the country’s main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) in Blantyre.

MCP Vice President Sidik Mia confirmed receiving the report and is Monday morning inspecting the offices.

A group of pro-ruling DPP   had besieged the MCP offices when the attack had occurred.

“They threw a petrol bomb and it has burnt down our offices,” said Mia.

A watchman in the neighbourhood said the petrol bomb that set fire to the building was hurled from a DPP vehicle.

MCP Regional Secretary for South Peter Khofi says assailants in two minibuses and  a pick-up car invaded the place forcing security guards to flee before the office was petrol-bombed.

Analysts fear civil strife is escalating following May 21 presidential election dispute. The matter is in court.

A social and political commentator Emily Mkamanga pointed out in a newspaper column that the country is facing political violence mostly because of party militia groups, some of whom appear to be free even to display their weapons, such as pangas, in public.

“ Of late, there has been a series of mysterious deaths of people connected to Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) . One wonders whether or not this is a way of destroying rigging evidence. One can only appeal to the government to investigate such mysterious deaths. It must be noted that violence begets violence,” she wrote.

Mkamanga argues that The country needs another ‘Operation Bwezani’ to make sure that no one else is armed, except registered security agents, the army and police.

She pointed out that: “As if suffering from abject poverty is not bad enough; people are living in constant fear of being attacked, robbed or killed by political party militias who are slowly, but surely gaining ground. This is not an imagined fear but a genuine one. It is against this back ground that the future looks bleak.”

According to Mkamanga, Malawi is systematically being destroyed by leadership which does not care about the ordinary Malawians.

“It is time government shows direction before Malawians get lost completely.”