By Vincent Gunde
A Malawian human rights activist based in South Africa Charles Ben Longwe, says there is no government in Malawi which has not tortured or harassed activists advising Malawians to recall what was happening when Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) was in power.
The activist confesses that he has been misleading Malawians that DPP under Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika was better off than the MCP under President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera hence good to bounce back into government in 2025.
He has however, welcomed calls by Malawians for President Chakwera to resign observing that he is going but DPP is not coming back into government for treating activists as dissidents saying there is no way Timothy Pagonachi Mtambo can support the DPP looking back at the atrocities committed against him and innocent Malawians in 2019 -2020 for electoral justice in court.
He is reacting to news that activist Bon Elias Kalindo aka Winiko during drama stage acting was on Friday granted bail on the charges he was answering in court of inciting violence and vandalism during Malawi First peaceful organized demonstrations in Zomba and Mangochi.
Many Malawians have been accusing President Chakwera and his MCP led Tonse Alliance government of torturing and harassing Kalindo taking Malawi to a -one state dictatorship thereby putting democracy under threat.
Ben Longwe has reminded Malawians that the DPP was hunting for Timothy Pagonachi Mtambo for his violent demonstrations until such a time that he handed himself over to the police and was injected with poison at Maula Prison in Lilongwe.
He said Bon Kalindo has been arrested for a number of times by the MCP led government but at no time Malawians learnt sad news that he was injected with poison in police custody or prisons saying this is a clear testimony that Malawians should not accuse one person alone but all Chakwera and Mutharika.
The activist said Timothy Mtambo and Gift Trapence were all arrested, Billy Mayaya was axed on his head by the DPP cadets in full view of police and Mutharika was all aware saying the HRDC can never fight for freedom of the DPP.
“While we are accusing Chakwera and MCP of harassing activists, we should not forget that DPP had its cadets using Police vehicles and uniforms, boarding ESCOM vehicles and armed with pistols and axes to harass and torture activists,” said Ben Longwe.
