This demand follows a disturbing incident in Lilongwe where Zikwanje-wielding assailants violently disrupted a peaceful demonstration organised by Citizens for Credible Elections—a civic group advocating for the resignation of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Chairperson and the Chief Elections Officer. The brazen attack occurred in full view of Malawi Police Service and Malawi Defence Force (MDF) officers, who reportedly stood by without intervening.
In an official statement signed by MLS President Davis Njobvu and Honorary Secretary Francis M’mame, the Society condemned what it termed the “gross dereliction of duty” by the Minister and the “alarming ineptitude or compromised impartiality” demonstrated by the IG. The MLS asserts that the leadership has failed to uphold constitutional standards of professionalism and neutrality within the country’s security institutions.
The violent disruption left several demonstrators injured, including lead organizer Sylvester Namiwa, and resulted in the torching of vehicles. The Law Society has demanded that law enforcement authorities expeditiously identify and prosecute all perpetrators involved in what it described as “barbaric and criminal acts.”
Furthermore, the MLS expressed deep concern over what it characterises as the State’s calculated inaction and tacit complicity in suppressing constitutionally protected rights. “The silence and passivity of security agencies in the face of such blatant violence signal a dangerous erosion of the rule of law and an affront to the fundamental freedoms of assembly and expression,” the statement reads.
The Society has since urged the government to restore public trust by taking immediate corrective measures and reaffirming its commitment to democratic principles and constitutional governance.
Reported by James Kaonga