The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) cadets, notorious for their ruthless tactics, show no sign of remorse or repentance. The same thuggery they displayed while in power—brandishing panga knives to intimidate Malawians exercising their right to protest and viciously beating Human Rights Defenders like Billy Mayaya—continues unchecked.
Norman Chisale, the so-called Director of Youth, brazenly declared that the DPP will stick to its old, violent ways. True to his belligerent rhetoric, DPP cadets assaulted journalists from Nation Publications Limited (NPL) during the party convention, forcing them to delete a social media post under duress.
This brazen assault has prompted the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) Malawi to issue a scathing condemnation of the DPP cadets’ physical attacks and threats against NPL journalists during the convention.
The statement narrates that in the wee hours of Monday, August 19, 2024, some people operating under the “DPP media team” at the COMESA Hall in Blantyre “threatened and forced” the NPL team to delete a Facebook news update on the events unfolding at the convention. The NPL team had to seek special protection from party officials to safely move themselves and their livestreaming gadgets out of the convention hall.
MISA Malawi Chairperson, Golden Matonga, termed the intimidation of journalists and forced deletion of stories as a “huge affront to media freedom and the right to know,” stating that such behavior has no place in a democratic society.
“It is even more concerning that such barbaric actions are happening at a time Malawians are eager to know what is happening in respective political parties for them to make informed choices during the 2025 elections,” the statement reads.
MISA Malawi has called on all political parties to ensure a safe and secure environment for the media, urging collaboration with the police to guarantee a fair and credible 2025 election. The organization also demanded that the DPP publicly reprimand the fanatics responsible for the recent attacks, emphasizing that their actions have severely strained the party’s relationship with the press.
Highlighting the media’s critical role in informing the public and fostering transparency during elections, MISA Malawi has pledged to staunchly defend media freedom and the right to information in the country.
