The demonstrations that rocked parts of Malawi last week under the banner of Citizens for Credible Elections have exposed a growing hypocrisy, a dangerous double standard, and a troubling international gaze that appears increasingly blind to the nuances of our local politics.
Even more disturbingly, these demonstrations, spearheaded by Silvester Namiwa but clearly choreographed by the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), have now become a tool used to play victim politics to key donors and development partners.
The DPP has reportedly written to diplomatic missions including the US, EU, and UK, raising alarm over the so-called political violence that occurred in Lilongwe where Namiwa was manhandled by street vendors and traders defending their businesses and property.
But here’s the first hard question: Are donors and diplomats prepared to continue exposing and embarrassing themselves backing protests that are clearly compromised, stage-managed, and politically hijacked?
The current uproar from development partners and NGOs over the assault of Namiwa is deafening and telling.
Let us be clear. Violence in any form is unacceptable in a democratic society, but what is equally unacceptable is the selective outrage.
Not long ago, Dr. Jessie Kabwila, a former parliamentarian and Minister of Higher Education along other MCP officials were physically assaulted in Machinga. During this attack by DPP vigilantes, over 40 MCP members sustained various degrees of injuries, with 25 in critical condition. Not a single statement was issued by the US Embassy. The EU remained silent. The Malawi Law Society (MLS) looked the other way.
Just weeks ago, a Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) journalist was beaten by a known DPP operative in Mzuzu, an incident that sent chills down the spine of many media professionals. But where was Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi? Where was the Public Affairs Committee (PAC)? Where were the same diplomats who have now found their tongues on Namiwa’s bruised ego?
This raises an inconvenient truth. Is the life or safety of an opposition figure more valuable than that of a government supporter or an impartial journalist?
Let’s not pretend anymore. The protests were not organic, they were not spontaneous. And they were not people-driven.
They were born in political boardrooms and funded through backdoor deals to discredit the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), cast doubts on the legitimacy of the September elections, and create a pathway for post-election anarchy in case the results don’t favor the DPP.
Leaked audio tapes have already exposed the meeting between Edward Kambanje, Namiwa, and DPP top brass, outlining a strategy to disrupt electoral peace starting in Mangochi, then moving to Blantyre and Mzuzu. They even mentioned specific coordinators: Matholo, Samuni in Blantyre, Ina Mazinga, among others.
And now that the street has rejected them, with Lilongwe vendors ejecting Namiwa and his rented crowd, they are turning to donors and diplomats, seeking sympathy and international condemnation of the state.
It is pure manipulation.
The USA’s recent criticism of the government over this incident reeks of hypocrisy.
The US has no moral high ground left to lecture Malawi on democracy. Their own democratic processes have been eroded to the point of global embarrassment. With Capitol Hill riots, voter suppression, and mass shootings in polling stations, USA’s democracy is now less stable than an African autocracy. One could argue, rather uncomfortably, that Idi Amin’s Uganda had more ideological clarity than modern-day American partisanship.
Then there is the EU. Few remember that in 2020, following the Supreme Court nullification of the 2019 presidential election, the EU was against the ruling. They viewed the nullification not as a triumph of the judicial process but as a disturbance to regional stability. In fact, they refused to fund the re-run.
Let that sink in. They preferred a fraudulent victory for Arthur Peter Mutharika and the DPP than to let democracy correct itself.
And now, the same EU is crying foul over the treatment of Namiwa? The irony is unbearable.
Even local watchdogs are proving to be toothless and biased.
Malawi Law Society (MLS), which should be the beacon of fairness and accountability, appears quick to denounce police action only when the opposition is affected. When ruling party sympathizers, ministers, or journalists are under siege, the MLS is missing in action.
And MISA Malawi? It appears their brand of media advocacy only extends to those journalists working for private stations or opposition-aligned publications. When an MBC journalist was beaten in Mzuzu, there was no press statement, no solidarity march, no condemnation.
These institutions are rapidly losing credibility. They have become activist enclaves masquerading as neutral watchdogs.
What all these patterns point to is something deeply disturbing, the weaponization of victimhood for political gain.
When opposition-aligned individuals are assaulted, whether justifiably or not, it becomes an international incident. But when ruling party sympathizers are attacked, even by known opposition thugs, the silence is thunderous.
This tells us that in Malawi, justice is not blind; it is color-coded by party affiliation.
And what does that say about our democracy? What does it say about the donors who continue to fund partisan CSOs, ignoring their bias, their opacity, and their political loyalties?
One must commend the Malawi Police Service (MPS) and the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) for how they handled the situation in Lilongwe. Despite being deliberately provoked, they protected Namiwa from public wrath.
That public wrath wasn’t organized by MCP. It came from traders and vendors who have suffered enough from politically motivated disruptions that harm their livelihoods.
The security agencies stepped in not to suppress dissent, but to protect life and restore order. That is their constitutional mandate. Any honest observer can see that.
Yet, the condemnation from donor capitals and CSOs ignores this reality. They want the government to control public anger without addressing the root cause of such anger: DPP’s disruptive tactics and abuse of democratic processes.
The real question. Who are these demonstrations for? Do these protests truly reflect national outrage or are they designed to benefit a few political losers?
If the opposition parties have legitimate concerns about MEC or Smartmatic, why are they not taking legal action? Why aren’t they in court seeking and demanding reforms?
The answer is simple. They know the truth. The electoral process is credible. They are just laying the groundwork to cry foul when they inevitably lose in September.
And the donors, by siding with these theatrics, are not defending democracy, they are funding chaos disguised as activism.
Probably it’s time for reset. Malawi must stop looking to the West for moral direction. The donors and diplomats have their own geopolitical interests. They are not here to protect our democracy. If anything, their recent actions are weakening it.
It’s time for local institutions to regain their voice. It’s time for MLS, PAC, MISA, and others to show impartiality or risk losing public trust altogether.
And to the opposition. Malawi is not your experiment ground. If you want power, earn it through the ballot, not through street drama funded by shadowy figures.
To the donors. Before you release another press statement, ask yourselves whether you are defending democracy or empowering its destroyers.
Because the people are watching. And this time, they are not buying the hypocrisy.
