from MAVHUTO BANDA in Lilongwe, Malawi
Malawi Bureau
LILONGWE, (CAJ News) – THREE months after the ruling party assumed office, the opposition and critics accuse it of weaponising the law to target opponents.
The government of President Peter Mutharika, led by his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), is facing the accusations.
This follows the December arrest and lengthy detention of Richard Chimwendo Banda, the Secretary General of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), the main opposition.
Late last year, MCP lost power to the DPP, with the party returning having lost the 2020 elections.
When MCP was at the helm, occupied positions including Minister of Local Government, Unity and Culture and the Minister of Homeland Security.
He was Leader of Government Business in Parliament.
Banda was arrested on December 12, 2025, and formally charged with attempted murder and abduction. The charges stem from a 2021 incident involving Frank Chawanda, who that year was expelled from MCP.
He has been released on the grounds of the statutory 30-day remand period without a formal trial committal, but the trial continues.
Meanwhile, this week, police arrested MCP campaign director, the former minister Moses Kunkuyu, and charged him with inciting violence during the recent funeral of ex-First Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Madaitso Kazombo.
Kunkunyu served as Minister of Information and Digitalisation in the former cabinet.
He is the fifth senior MCP member to be arrested since December last year.
Others are former Minister of Homeland Security Ezekiel Ching’oma, ex-Minister of Trade and Industry Vitumbiko Mumba and Publicity Secretary Jessie Kabwila.
Ching’oma faces charges of abduction. Mumba and Kabwila are accused of addressing a press conference where they allegedly claimed electoral fraud by the Malawi Electoral Commission during September 16 General Election.
Human rights activists have been caught in the crossfire.
Elija Mike Banda, was last week arrested after posting on Facebook about the prolonged detention of former minister Banda, named above.
In his posts, Elija cautioned that continued delays in delivering justice could spark public frustration and unrest.
Authorities have interpreted these warnings as “incitement.”
“This action is deeply concerning and raises serious questions about the state of freedom of expression in Malawi,” MCP stated.
Concentrate on governing the country and not arresting people, it told the ruling party.
Mutharika and his predecessor, Lazarus Chakwera, on Monday had a telephone conversation initiated by Chakwera, who raised concern at the “political arrests.”
Mutharika, according to a note from the Kamuzu House, said while Chakwera was in power from 2020 to 2025, his administration oversaw numerous high-profile cases which seemed politically motivated, resulting in a lack of successful convictions.
“The President reminded Dr Chakwera of the patterns of arrests during his five-year tenure, which targeted high-ranking members of the DPP and other officials,” Cathy Maulidi, presidential press secretary, stated.
Mutharika assured the former president the current administration was “strictly” guided by the rule of law.
“The President remains steadfast in his resolve to allow law enforcement agencies to carry out their duties without interference, reaffirming that the era of ‘political arrests’ has ended,” Maulidi stated.
– CAJ News