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Blantyre — Two people were killed late yesterday in a clash between supporters of Malawi’s ruling party and the opposition, police said, triggering concerns that violence could mar the buildup to national elections tomorrow.A police officer and a civilian died in what police said was an ambush that followed a rally by President Joyce Banda in the tea-growing district of Thyolo, about 20km east of the commercial capital of Blantyre.
The area is a stronghold of the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led by Peter Mutharika, brother of former president Bingu wa Mutharika, who died of a heart attack in 2012.
“We are concerned that the DPP, which has a track record of violence, wants to resume its terror and intimidation tactics,” said Elias Wakuda Kamanga, an official advisor in the office of the presidency.
No one was immediately available for comment from the DPP.
Malawi is due to go to the polls tomorrow in what are expected to be closely contested presidential, parliamentary and local elections.
Banda has won acclaim in the West for austerity measures and moves to bolster the economy of the aid-dependent southern African country.
But steps such as an IMF-backed devaluation of the kwacha currency have stoked inflation, raised the price of food for the rural poor and eroded her domestic support.
Police spokesperson Rhoda Manjolo said police had to fire in “self defence” after a hostile crowd attacked the officer.
Stones came within 100 metres of the podium where Banda and senior party officials were sitting, causing “quite a security scare,” said Nhlane.
The rally proceeded after police fired teargas to disperse the hostile crowd, and the president left safely under heavy police escort.
“But things worsened after the rally ended as the mob continued to throw stones at the crowd, forcing police to fire teargas to control the situation,” Nhlane said.
Wakuda Kamanga, an official of Banda’s ruling People’s Party (PP) said several party members were injured in the skirmishes.
Several government vehicles and one belonging to a senior party official had windscreens “bashed and windows shattered, injuring most of the occupants”.
A car belonging to the public Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) was “extensively damaged and the particles of a broken windscreen seriously injured the eyes of two MBC journalists,” a senior official at the state broadcaster said.
Banda, previously vice-president, came to power in 2012 following the sudden death of president Bingu wa Mutharika.
She faces three prominent contenders including Peter Mutharika, a young brother of the late president.
Peter Mutharika was accused of trying to usurp the constitution and Banda’s succession in a plot that involved keeping his brother’s death secret for days by flying his body to South Africa. — AFP
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