By Z. Allan Ntata:
When Malawians took to the streets in 2011 under the Bingu wa Mutharika administration, protesting economic hardship, fuel shortages, and forex scarcity, the demonstrations were marred by violence and destruction.
The state’s heavy-handed response, coupled with the international community’s condemnation, began a chain reaction that ultimately changed the course of the Mutharika presidency.
It was a moment that shook the nation’s democratic foundations. It was a moment we vowed never to repeat.
And yet, yesterday, history seemed to echo with unnerving clarity.
What began as a peaceful expression of frustration over economic hardship and questions around the transparency of the Malawi Electoral Commission has once again descended into violence.
Properties were destroyed, lives disrupted, and once more, the donor community has issued strong words of condemnation, not just for the violence, but for what they perceive as a worrying lack of vigilance by our security forces.
Let us be clear: Violence must never be the language through which citizens speak to their leaders. But neither must silence and passivity be the response of a government facing the cries of its people.
At the same time, we must also be vigilant about the motivations behind some of these protests. In 2011, it was an open secret that opposition parties and opposition-aligned civil society groups played a central role in orchestrating the unrest.
Today, there are growing suspicions that the same may be true, that some of the voices fuelling these protests may not be purely motivated by the people’s grievances, but rather by political calculation.
While citizens have every right to protest, we must guard the integrity of that right. Protests should be genuine expressions of public concern, not covert political campaigns designed to manufacture instability.
The opposition has a critical role to play in a democracy, but exploiting national hardship for partisan gain is neither responsible nor patriotic.
Protests are a democratic right. But when protests consistently lead to violence, we must ask ourselves uncomfortable questions: Are we really listening? Are we doing enough to channel citizen frustration into dialogue, not destruction?
This is not just a law enforcement issue. It is a political moment that requires statesmanship, not bureaucracy.
President Lazarus Chakwera’s administration still has time to act decisively. To show leadership. To re-inspire confidence. But time is short, and the signs are serious.
If we do not learn from 2011, we may find ourselves watching a familiar tragedy unfold.
Let us not ignore the writing on the wall.
