Dausi says ‘sorry’ to Malawi media over journalist attack by DPP youth cadets: ‘No return to anarchism’
Information and Communications Technology Minister Nicholas Dausi has apologised to the media fraternity in the country after the disheartening the assault on Times Group journalist by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) youth cadets at Parliament on Friday.
The journalist, Douglas Banda, was assaulted while filming DPP members as they were being evicted from Parliament for disturbing proceedings. The irate DPP supporters ordered him to delete the pictures he had taken.
Dausi said the assault on Banda was unfortunate and must be condemned in strongest terms.
“On behalf of the government of Malawi and on my own behalf, sincere apologies. We cannot switch back and go the era of anarchism. Violence has never solved a problem,” said Dausi.
Dausi, who is government spokesperson, said what happened at Parliament was regrettable.
He assured journalists in the country that the matter will be investigated thoroughly.
The Media Institute of Southern Africa (Misa) Malawi Chapter and Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) have all expressed sadness that the journalist was beaten up in full view of the police and DPP secretary general Gresselder Jeffrey.
The HRDC, led by Timothy Mtambo, Gift Trapence and Charles Kajoloweka, who last week also petitioned government over socio-economic and governance issues, said in a statement that the violence is a manifestation that the DPP tolerates violence as a tool to stifle dissenting views.
They said the assault on Banda was not only an attack on media freedom but also an insult to Malawi’s hard–earned democracy.
They have since demanded the immediate arrest of the perpetrators of the acts of violence and an explanation on why the perpetrators of violent acts are left scot-free.
“We demand that President Peter Mutharika should publicly condemn these acts of violence immediately; and that he disciplines his party on the culture of terror and impunity. Failure to do so we vindicate assertions that he is either an accomplice to the scheme or is not in control of the state of affairs,” reads the statement in part.
One of the leading DPP youth terror—in-Chief is identified as Dayton Mussa and they were being commandeered by Charles Mchacha, MP.
Vice-President Saulos Chilima was the first in government to issue a statement condemning the violence at Parliament.
In the statement, Chilima says: “When we voted for multiparty democracy in 1993, after a gallant fight against the brutality that existed at the time, we said goodbye to a dark age.
“We, as the people of Malawi, should not, therefore, allow any individual or group of individuals masquerading as democrats to take us back to the era of death and darkness in pursuit of their own selfish interests.
“The acts of the last 36 hours are primitive, uncivilised and satanic and have no space in modern Malawi.”
The Vice-President urges all peace-loving Malawians to resist this and to refrain from being used by selfish individuals whose aim is to tear the nation apart.
He said no one should be threatened or intimidated for expressing their political, religious or any views at any time anywhere in the country.
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apology accepted but the law should take charge. if your here just to say sorry and let Dyton Mussa go wothout facing the law then am sorry honorable minister, not this Malawi.
AGENDA SETTING THEORY!!!!! The MCP must not take this as their platform to score points against the DPP.What we have seen and heard,is far much diluted accusation against the DPP Cadets when we compare with the brutalities committed by the rogue MYC under the leadership of Tembo and others.What the MYP did to the people of Malawi is a crime that will never be forgotten in our life time.So the complaints made by the MCP,is a smoke screen to make Malawians forget the old worse era.As a matter of fact,thousands of innocent Malawians were either killed or injured in the… Read more »
You mean the old MCP that is in DPP now?
This is 2019. many Malawians know their history and they are capable of making their decisions on issues. So if you want to talk about the past you are wasting your time. The people leading MCP now were not there when what you claim to know took place. In fact, some of the key players in MCP then are in DPP one was even the president of this country. Give us proper arguments, people are concerned with what is happening now not what happened some 30 years ago when some of us were not even born. I have never seen… Read more »
There’s no genuineness and sincerity in these a apologies at all. If anything its another face-saver ploy to damage control DPP international image.
It’s an open secret that these violence like others before were planned & orchestrated by DPP operatives at the highest level. And in fact expect more of such in the coming months.
Such acts of blutality can only be ordered by people who do NOT VALUE democracy & likely were matchona oti sanamveko nawo kuwawa kwa nkhanza ngati zimenezi nthawi ya one-party system.
SHAME on thugs!!!
Kunama, if it was MCP who had done this the Ngongoliwas, the Kyungus , th Lundus and other clowns could have held a press conference and te use could have been on MBC from now to 2019. But as you can see they are quite or they will come out to blame MCP for this as the Nutty Professor has done.
Robert Chasowa’s, Njaunju’s, and many other cases received the same commitment and sadly nothing is done to-date!!
Mr Dausi, will it be fair to accompany our party leaders next time they shall be going to parliament? Sincerely if the President, the police and DPP gurus did nothing rather merely watched as the nasty events were unfolding, some of us believe that your government is deliberately doing that to instill fear among people so that nobody should dare question your acts……………!! Reallyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy
The multiparty we voted for in 1992 isn’t what you are practicing……………………………………………………….!!
My fellow peace loving Malawians who are in millions for sure I urge you to vote wisely in twelve months’ time and boot out these thieves who breathe and UNLEASH TERROR to fellow Malawians. If DPP wins in 2019, rest assured that THIEVERY AND VIOLENCE WILL BE THE ORDER OF THE DAY UP UNTIL 2024 BECAUSE THE DPP LEADERSHIP IS SO INEPT TO STOP THESE EVILS IN OUR SOCIETY. DPP IS THE REIGN OF TERROR.THE POLICE WON’T STOP THE DPP VIOLENCE. MALAWIANS WILL. YES MALAWIANS WILL REMOVE THIS THIEVING AND VIOLENT REGIME WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT. MALAWIANS WILL… Read more »
The way I know Dausi, this is his politics, trying to lean towards Chilima! You will be surprised his next step.
It takes a man to say sorry. Munthu wapepesa APA on behalf of government do we need kumamutukwananso kamba kopepesa? Mumafu a akule mtima kuti ma cadet sanalakwise cholinga muziti this gvt is rude? By de way both dausi & chilima r DPP, in case u have forgotten.
Well done Dausi. People who live on vengeance will always refuse to accept an apology because they have hiden agenda.
It would be sad if innocent DPP Youth Cadets, who were manipulated into unleashing violence for a pittance, are arrested. Follow the source of command and identify the true perpetrators. Lock them up even if it leads to senior members of DPP. Your own leaders have brought the party into disrepute ahead of tripartite elections. Malawians have began to lose trust in the party and its ability to govern responsibly. This is why even our neighbours aren’t respecting our borders; they all want to take a piece of the country because they perceive malawians as incapable of governing itself.