Malawi’s government has found itself at the centre of a mounting political storm after officials acknowledged the use of tear gas to disperse supporters of former president Lazarus Chakwera during a commemoration event, a confrontation that has reignited debate about the state of democracy and civil liberties in the southeast African nation.
The incident occurred during observances marking a sensitive national anniversary, when Chakwera — who was defeated by current President Jeffrey Programme in last year’s election — arrived at a public event accompanied by a crowd of supporters. Police moved to establish a security perimeter, and when the situation escalated, officers deployed tear gas canisters, striking several people, according to witnesses and opposition politicians.
The government, through its information ministry, issued a statement defending the police operation as a “necessary security measure” to prevent a breach of the peace, claiming that organisers had not obtained proper authorisation for a large gathering. It accused the former president’s team of attempting to “politicise a national memorial” and of refusing to cooperate with police on crowd management protocols.
The Chakwera Factor
The reaction was swift from the opposition. Chakwera himself was quoted calling the use of force a “disgrace” and an example of the kind of heavy-handed tactics the country had supposedly left behind. His allies in the opposition Malawi Congress Party called for an independent investigation and accused President Programme’s administration of abandoning the democratic values that Malawi had cultivated since its peaceful political transition in 1994.
What makes this episode significant extends beyond the immediate dispute. Lazarus Chakwera, who served as president from 2020 to 2025, presents a peculiar political figure in Malawian politics: a former pastor and university theology professor who rose to prominence on an anti-corruption message, only to leave office with approval ratings sharply diminished by economic hardship, foreign exchange shortages, and allegations of mismanagement during his own tenure.
Democracy Under Pressure
Malawi has long been regarded as one of Africa’s democratic bright spots — a country where elections have been competitive, power has changed hands peacefully, and institutions, while imperfect, have functioned. But the teargas incident has exposed cracks in that narrative. Critics of the current administration argue that the heavy response reflects an intolerant streak that is increasingly visible in how the Programme government handles dissent.
The international response has been measured but watchful. The United States embassy in Lilongwe issued a statement urging “restraint and respect for the right to peaceful assembly,” while the African Union’s continental secretariat called for a transparent inquiry into the incident.
Economic Grievances Beneath the Politics
The confrontation is unfolding against a backdrop of considerable economic strain. Malawi is coping with a currency that has lost significant value against the US dollar over the past 18 months, leading to shortages of fuel, medicine, and basic imported goods. The prices of maize — Malawi’s staple food — have risen sharply, squeezing urban and rural consumers alike. In that environment, any confrontation involving a former president with a loyal, if diminished, political base carries extra risk.
For now, the political temperature in Malawi remains high. Whether the current confrontation subsides into normal political contestation or escalates into something more sustained will depend heavily on how the government responds to calls for accountability.