Last hour violence could disrupt peaceful environment

The increased spate of violent acts the past two weeks could disrupt prospects for a peaceful environment during the May19 elections, human rights activists have warned.

The developments are more likely to rile the Electoral Commission (EC) as well, as it has called for peaceful political co-existence in the run up to, during, and after the polls. Fegus Lipenga, EC's spokesperson, reiterated in an interview the need for all political players to maintain peace, a process he said would help voters make informed decisions.

For the past one week alone, there have been spates of violent incidents in both the Southern and Central region. It all started in the Central region when some students stoned part of President Bingu wa Mutharika's convoy before the cancer extended its tentacles to Thyolo district in Southern Malawi. Some unidentified people stoned former president, Bakili Muluzi's, convoy.

Other cases have also been reported in public buses and beer drinking places as tension and high expectations build up in the run up to Malawi's forth leg in multiparty politics of government.

One of the analysts, Kenwilliams Mhango, said it was sad that some "misguided supporters" had taken to violence as a means of frustrating their "master's political opponents". Mhango said such tactics have never worked before and asked Malawians to learn from past mistakes.

Mhango, the first president of the Malawi Congress of Trade Unions and labour adviser to former president Bakili Muluzi, asked the country's law enforcers to round up all perpetrators of violence as, without taking any restraining action, the situation could easily degenerate into violence.

"We must not allow this to happen in this country. We know what has happened elsewhere- Zimbabwe, Kenya- when violence is employed to express personal political feelings," said Mhango.

Undule Mwakasungula, Executive Director for the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, described the situation as unfortunate, saying it was sad elements of violence were cropping up just when Malawians were made to believe the era of violence and primitive politics was surely gone.

"Everyone has the right to participate in political discourse and aspire for positions of leadership. So, what these people are doing is stifle this inalienable right. It is unacceptable and must not be allowed to happen," said Mwakasungula.

 AEP/Richard Chirombo