DPP, MCP share a legacy of political violence, says Ayuba James

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) member Sylvester Ayuba James says both the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and MCP have a history of political violence, arguing that neither party’s current leadership appears capable of ending the vice.

James was reacting to Sunday’s violence at the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Blantyre Synod’s 150th anniversary celebrations at the HHI grounds in Blantyre, where suspected DPP cadets allegedly attacked a convoy carrying former president and MCP leader Lazarus Chakwera.

The DPP, through its spokesperson Shadric Namalomba, has denied that the suspected attackers were party cadets.

In a Facebook post, James traced political violence to the early days of multiparty politics, recalling how the MCP’s Youth League was accused of targeting people considered opponents of the party.

“The MCP had the Youth League. They used to do all sorts of things to perceived dissidents. My dad was a victim on a number of occasions,” he wrote.

The United Democratic Front (UDF) later had the Young Democrats, while the DPP became associated with cadets accused of attacking and intimidating political opponents.

James cited the assault on activist Billy Mayaya in Blantyre and the attack on the Tambala family in Area 23, Lilongwe, as examples of violence associated with DPP cadets.

However, the MCP’s return to power in 2020 did not end the problem. James pointed to the Mbowe incident, the hacking of unarmed civil servants during a demonstration and the attack on activist Timothy Namiwa as examples of violence associated with MCP supporters.

“UDF came from MCP, and DPP came from UDF. It’s really hard to imagine how any of these parties could erase violence from its legacy,” he wrote.

James also recounted his efforts to persuade MCP leaders to take action against political violence while the party was in government, particularly following the Mbowe incident involving DPP supporters.

He wanted the party to ensure that those responsible were dealt with through the law and demonstrate that it had moved away from its past association with political intimidation.

That appeal, however, yielded little encouragement. James recalled being told that allowing demonstrations could lead to the government losing power, as had happened during the DPP administration.

At the same time, party elders reportedly maintained that those involved in violent incidents were not MCP members or had not acted on the party’s or government’s instructions.

James viewed the position as double standards, arguing that it showed a lack of commitment to addressing political violence within the party.

He later took to Facebook to condemn the violence, while also blaming the DPP for introducing what he described as the zikwanje culture during its time in power.

The latest incident involving Chakwera’s convoy has prompted James to question whether the MCP would have a stronger moral position in condemning the DPP if it had dealt decisively with political violence during its five years in government.

He wondered whether the current incidents could have been avoided had the MCP taken a firmer stand against political hooliganism while in power, and whether condemnation of the DPP would now be more united if the MCP had addressed the problem when it had the opportunity.

“Is MCP today morally justified to condemn or complain about political violence?” he asked.

Despite his criticism of his own party, James condemned political violence regardless of who was responsible, warning that attacks on political opponents undermine democracy.

“I personally condemn the violent shuttering of the democratic space against any political rivals by all players in the game,” he wrote.

However, he expressed little confidence that the two parties would end the problem under their current leadership.

“But I am afraid to say that neither DPP nor MCP under their current leaderships can end political violence in Malawi,” James wrote.