Political unrest escalates in Malawi as thugs Petrol bomb main opposition office

July 24, 2019
| Report Focus News

Unknown people have petrol bombed an office for the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) in the Malawi’s commercial city of Blantyre, an incident analysts say will just fuel the post election instability that has characterised the country.

The party’s President Lazarus Chakwera who is challenging President Mutharika’s legitimacy in court implicate Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party officials as major suspects of the arson.

Eye witnesses told Report Focus news that two minibuses and a pick up car filled up with people in the DPP regalia besieged the MCP office in the evening and chased out its watchmen before torching down the building.

“We have reported the incident to police but we are also doing our own investigations to find out those behind it and the interest they serve,” said Chakwera at a press briefing held at the party’s headquarters in Lilongwe.

He said all the property in the office including documents and video documentaries have been destroyed .

Chakwera alleged that the rulling regime thugs are deliberately targeting MCP to silence the party’s leadership from advocating for the truth on the 21st May ellections results which the party accuses Mutharika of rigging the votes .

He challenged MCP would not be intimidated with such attacks and will continue to fight until the truth is known on the Presintial results .

“MCP is a law biding institution and the act of provocation will not trigger the party to commit lawless acts of violence in retaliation against the government DPP so that it can declare a State of Emergency and restrict of Malawians,” said the visibly angry Chakwera.

Emily Mkamanga , a political analyst based in northern Malawi warned civil war if the political partites start targeting each other in the southern African nation’s escalating post elections violence.

She condemned the emerging of the political party militia groups in the country especially by the rulling party, and asked security forces to clear such groups before the situation goes out of hand .

But Nicholas Dausi, the ruling party’s spokesperson ,and Minister of Homeland Security denied allegations of his party’s involvement in torching down the MCP office, and it’s youths involvement in violent activities against the government opponents.

“DPP is a peace loving party and we have nothing to do with MCP to attack their office,” said Dausi.

Recently, Malawians applauded the Malawi Defense Forces’ soldiers for beating up and detaining the DPP youth members identifying themselves as Cadets who were armed with knives and other dangerous weapons, attacking protesters demanding for resignation of the Malawi Electoral Commission Chairperson Jane Ansa to resign for allegedly messing the recent general elections.