"Young democrats" implicated in intimidation

Ruling United Democratic Front's (UDF) party activists, the so-called "young democrats", have become embroiled once again in allegations of intimidation and violence.

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) researcher Zoe Titus told IRIN that MISA planned to contact the Malawian government urgently regarding claims in a local newspaper on Monday 5 November that the UDF had drawn up a list of journalist to be assaulted, allegedly for discrediting the party.

The Daily Times reported on Monday that the UDF was planning to use a group of "young democrats" based in Ndirande, reportedly headed by Shire Buslines chief executive Humphrey Mvula and presidential youth adviser Henry Moyo. The report said, however, that Mvula had disassociated himself from the group. Journalists on the list included Daily Times chief reporter Mabvuto Banda and senior journalist Penelope Paliani, BBC correspondent Raphael Tenthani and Nation newspaper journalist Pilirani Semu, it added.

Tenthani was quoted as saying he believed that such schemes did not have the blessing of president Bakili Muluzi, who had professed to be a friend of the media. "Dr Muluzi is a gallant peace crusader, so I don't think he can be fighting for peace in other countries while funding a group of people who wants to disrupt peace in his own country. It just doesn't make sense," he said.

Titus said in a statement that there had been an increase recently in the number of assaults on journalists. "Brian Ligomeka and Chinyeke Tembo have been beaten up during and soon after the SADC conference allegedly for working with NDA leader Brown Mpinganjira; John Saini, publisher of Pride magazine, was also threatened during the summit. President Muluzi has neither condemned nor commented on the assault on journalists, which journalists say may taint the image of his government internationally," the statement said.

Titus told IRIN that the "young democrats" had been "running amok" and that she hoped Muluzi would honour his repeated statements that he was willing to provide a safe and open environment for journalists to work in.

In another development on Monday, a justice and peace commission formed by Malawi's Roman Catholic Church protested against what it described as an increase in "state-sponsored violence" aimed at silencing critics of the government.

AFP reported that the protests came in the wake of church claims that members of the "young democrats" attacked and harassed Roman Catholics holding a fundraising walk in October.

"We are convinced state-sponsored violence is aimed at instilling fear in people so that they do not question government policies and other issues of national concern," the commission was quoted as saying in a statement signed by commission chairperson George Buleya. "It creates a culture of fear among peace-loving Malawians. We would not like to go back to dictatorship of one party rule that was characterised by fear and intimidation. We do not want to create a dictator for this country."

Buleya was quoted as saying that one of the militants, apprehended by church members, "confessed that they were young democrats sent by UDF party heavyweights" to cause trouble during the walk.