When, in 1994, Malawians opted for multiparty democracy, they wanted to do away with tyranny.
Indeed, they wanted to put an era when human rights abuses were the in-thing behind them.
And, the bars down the line, it does not make sense for some people to be taking the law in their hands, in full view of hapless Malawi Police Service officers, by threatening innocent citizens with offensive equipment.
After all, the demonstrations that marred the run-up to the June 23 2020 court-ordered presidential election erased any doubt in Malawians that what was hitherto regarded as nascent democracy had come of age.
This is because the-then governing party did not make the people’s right to hold people in the demonstrations.
In fact, the current administration – that is, the Malawi Congress Party—rode to power on the back of those demonstrations.
Now, while we are not pointing a finger of blame at the party for what happened yesterday, we feel that what happened is giving the governing party a bad name.
After all, the unfortunate events of yesterday happened when it is in power. As we have been making accusations that some people are making.
More so because having spent close to 25 years in the doldrums of opposition ranks, people thought the party was ready to embrace democracy.
Nay! Gauging by what happened yesterday, in full view of law enforcers and on the watch of the governing party which is the most of the war affairs of the country, some people decided to violate opposition parties’ right to hold demonstrations freely and peacefully.
And, as if to hide from the pretty face of democracy, some of those who wielded pangas against innocent people put on facemasks.To say the least, what happened yesterday is enparrassing and a slap in the face of dehumanism.
As such, we agree with the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation on the need for the Malawi Police Service to investigate the issue and bring perpetrators to books.The opposition has to be lounded, also, for the the legal route instead of retaliating or doing anything unbecoming.
We wait for the court outcome so that, from the day of ruling onwards, the toad democracy can be set.
