Civil society organizations (CSOs), in collaboration with the Malawi Human Rights Consultative Committee (MHRCC), have warned the government against the use of state institutions to intimidate individuals exercising their constitutional rights, including the right to demonstrate.
The CSO leaders sounded the warning at a press briefing they held in Lilongwe on Thursday, following a dialogue between the CSOs and Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Central Region Vice President, Alfred Gangata, who is spearheading mobilization efforts for nationwide protests scheduled for 4th July 2025.
Benedicto Kondowe, who led the CSO leaders, described the engagement as “heated,” revealing that Gangata and his team had already made extensive preparations for the demonstrations to take place in all the regions of the country.
“It was not easy to convince him. The rights to demonstrate and the right to education are colliding; students are currently sitting for exams, and as a leader, he was supposed to consider that they must not be disturbed during this critical period,” said Kondowe.
He further noted that Gangata had not yet communicated any change to the planned date for the protests.
Among the key resolutions made during the discussions was a demand for President Lazarus Chakwera to take decisive action regarding the harassment of protesters that occurred on 26th June 2025 in Lilongwe and the incident reportedly took place in full view of the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) and the Malawi Police Service (MPS).
The CSOs have called on both MDF and MPS to convene a multi-stakeholder meeting to address security concerns in the lead-up to the 16th September general elections.
“We expect security agencies to protect citizens, not to turn a blind eye when rights are being violated,” Kondowe emphasized.
In conclusion, the CSOs extended their call for authorities to respect democratic freedoms and ensure a safe, enabling environment for peaceful assembly and expression.
Meanwhile, Malawi will be celebrating its 61st Independence on 6th July 2025, an initiative that is meant to bring peace, unity and solidarity among the citizens.