In a chilling reminder of how low Malawi’s political discourse has sunk, senior Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) member Leonard Chimbanga has openly called for supporters to arm themselves with machetes ahead of planned demonstrations scheduled for this Friday.
His Facebook post—“Bring 200 machetes. This is war”—has sent shockwaves across the country and beyond.
This isn’t mere political rhetoric.
It is a direct incitement to violence, a dangerous escalation that Malawi cannot afford, especially with the stakes of the September 16 elections so high and the social fabric already strained.
The DPP’s refusal to distance itself from such inflammatory calls, and its own Vice President Alfred Gangata fanning similar flames, tells Malawians one hard truth: the opposition’s desperation has now crossed the threshold into outright anarchy.
Let’s be clear. Political opposition is a necessary pillar of democracy. But what we are witnessing from the DPP and its surrogate protest architects is not opposition. It is organized sabotage of national peace and democratic order.
Chimbanga’s machete message is not an isolated gaffe, it aligns with a consistent and disturbing pattern of behavior from the DPP over the past few weeks, planning violence under the guise of peaceful protest.
From Gangata’s cryptic warnings about “fighting back” in Lilongwe to leaked audio recordings of Citizens for Credible Elections admitting DPP backing to destabilize the September elections, everything points to one conclusion: the DPP has no message, no policy platform, and no credible candidate. Their last weapon is chaos.
While the DPP claims its demonstrations are to demand accountability from the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), the truth is becoming painfully obvious: this is not about elections or electoral justice. It is about manufacturing a crisis to justify violence and reject election results.
Ask yourself this: if the party’s concerns were genuine, why not take MEC to court? Why not mobilize legally with facts, data, and arguments instead of pangas and violence?
What we’ve seen so far is a calculated campaign to provoke MCP supporters, bait state security institutions into confrontation, and sabotage ongoing JC examinations, putting students’ futures at risk.
The Civil Society Education Coalition (CSEC) and thousands of parents in Lilongwe have rightly raised alarm about the dangerous timing of the demos. This isn’t civil engagement. This is a political version of domestic terrorism.
Even more troubling is the silence—or worse, selective outrage—of Malawi’s civil society organizations. Where is Public Affairs Committee (PAC) to condemn Chimbanga’s machete incitement? Where is the Malawi Law Society to demand action from law enforcement? Where are the same embassies that speak at length about democratic norms?
Contrast this to the firestorm of statements that followed the manhandling of Sylvester Namiwa last week, statements issued before any investigation, blaming the government without hesitation. Yet, a DPP official is now publicly calling for mass weaponization, and there is silence.
Do opposition figures have a monopoly on human rights? Is the life of a trader in Area 36 or a Form 2 student sitting an examination worth less than that of an activist playing politics with people’s lives?
The double standards are infuriating—and dangerous.
History teaches us that the DPP’s love affair with political violence isn’t new.
In 2011, under Bingu wa Mutharika’s administration, 20 innocent Malawians were gunned down during protests. The then-President not only refused to apologize but went on radio days later to insult the dead.
In 2019, as tension brewed over rigged elections, DPP youth cadets marched in Blantyre wielding pangas in full public view. They were not arrested. They were protected. Activists like Billy Mayaya were hacked in broad daylight, and the DPP regime responded with chilling indifference.
Now, in 2025, the same culture is resurfacing. The DPP remains the only party in Malawi’s multiparty history to normalize, justify, and glorify violence.
The party’s silence on machete calls shows us that violence, not leadership, is now their brand.
Malawi is barely two months away from the most important election in its democratic history. The choice is no longer just about MCP vs DPP or Chakwera vs whoever contests for DPP. It is a choice between order and chaos, between a nation governed by law and a nation consumed by machete politics.
Chimbanga’s post should be a wake-up call, not just to law enforcement and civil society, but to every Malawian who wants to vote, live, do business, and raise a family in peace.
This is not about party loyalty. It’s about the survival of Malawi’s fragile democracy.
Malawians must demand answers. Demand that Leonard Chimbanga be arrested and charged. Demand that Alfred Gangata be investigated. Demand that political parties, ruling and opposition, publicly disavow violence.
This cannot be another episode of “wait and see.”
The Malawi Police Service and Malawi Defence Force must take preventive action, not reactive apologies. The Electoral Commission must speak out firmly. And the presidency must ensure that the democratic process is not hijacked by machete-wielding mobs.
It is clear that this Friday’s demonstrations are not a protest. They are a planned attack. And the evidence is right before us.
But we say: It is no longer acceptable for opposition parties to destabilize the country in the name of democracy while hiding behind civil society activists. It is no longer acceptable for embassies and rights organizations to pick and choose whose pain matters.
And it is no longer acceptable for a once-proud nation like Malawi to be taken hostage by a party that has no future vision, only a violent past.
To all Malawians: this is your moment to speak up, before 200 machetes hit the streets.
