from MAVHUTO BANDA in Lilongwe, Malawi
Malawi Bureau
LILONGWE, (CAJ News) – COMMEMORATIONS of Kamuzu Day in Malawi descended into chaos, further widening the rift between the country’s fierce political rivals.
The day, marked annually on 14 May in memory of the country’s first head of state, Hastings Kamuzu Banda, was observed amid the worst tensions in months, culminating in former president Lazarus Chakwera, among others, being tear-gassed by police as he laid a wreath at the mausoleum of the country’s founding leader.
Law enforcement officers fired tear gas to disperse Chakwera and supporters of his Malawi Congress Party (MCP), preventing them from reaching the mausoleum in the capital, Lilongwe, alleging that the procession was unlawful.
Police blocked the march, claiming the group had failed to follow established security protocols and authorised procedures for public assemblies.
The MCP said it had secured permission to participate in the procession at the mausoleum located opposite Parliament.
The targeting of a former head of state—Chakwera led from 2020 to 2025 as the sixth president—has drawn widespread condemnation.
The Malawi Police Service was during that period accused of partisanship in favour of Chakwera and the MCP. The agency now faces similar accusations of bias in favour of current President Peter Mutharika and the governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Mutharika is back at the helm for another term, having previously led from 2014 to 2020.
Atupele Muluzi, who finished third in the September 2025 elections behind Mutharika and Chakwera, and is the son of former president Bakili Muluzi, condemned the tear gas incident as “deeply unfortunate” and said it must be condemned by peace-loving Malawians.
“Any sitting or former Head of State deserves dignity, recognition and respect in the discharge of national duties,” Muluzi said.
Political commentator Hopewell Chin’ono echoed similar sentiments.
“A country cannot build dignity, stability and progress when even moments meant to honour national history descend into chaos and hostility,” he said.
Mutharika and the governing party have been accused of pursuing a campaign of retribution through arrests of members of the former government.
The ruling party has, however, stated that its members were also victims of selective crackdowns when it was previously in opposition.
Minister of Homeland Security Peter Mukhito defended the actions of the Malawi Police Service in stopping what he described as a “political procession”, calling the event unlawful and the intervention necessary to protect public safety and national security.
“No political party, including the MCP, should place itself above the laws governing public assemblies and processions,” he said.
He added that clearance procedures involving the police and local authorities were not intended to suppress democracy or political participation, but to ensure coordination, public safety, traffic management, and the prevention of violence or destruction of property.
Mukhito said the Malawi Police Service “deserves recognition” for exercising restraint and professionalism under “difficult circumstances”.
“Maintaining peace in a politically charged environment is never easy, and officers often operate under immense pressure to balance constitutional freedoms with national security obligations,” he added.
14 May was designated in 1967, replacing “Queen’s Day”, to celebrate Banda’s life and his role in leading the nation to independence from Britain in 1964.
Although 14 May 1906 was recognised as his official birth date, his exact date of birth remains uncertain and is sometimes disputed.
Banda died in South Africa in 1997 after suffering heart failure.
– CAJ News