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| Columns |
| A Twist to the Tale |
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by
Edward Chisambo, 14 May 2005
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12:23:43
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KSG is a club where violence was banned a long time ago and since then all patrons have taken their Madeira in a manner as orderly as drunks can muster. This is why Judge Chimwamasana, Wangwiro of the Women’s Guild and Chofiira, who were drinking peacefully under a tree were shocked when they heard that violence still very much exists in other sober circles like political campaigns and football pitches.
The judge recollected the sad incident that led to all KSG clients signing a peace treaty and he almost wept when narrating it. One Saturday three years ago a strange individual entered the KSG main pub. The man was apparently drunk and he began singing traditional songs that bordered on the obscene on top of his voice.. This did not go down well with other semi drunks who were nursing their hangovers since they wanted to continue listening to music by Mr Nice—Live in Burundi from the Hi-fi operated by barman Wendewende.
The swearing drunk was oblivious to all that was happening around him. In short, he was minding his own business until two hefty looking boys not above seventeen years old came and beat him up in style, removing his pants and all in broad daylight.
The tough boys thought they were solving matters for the complaining adults, who were craving for Wendewende’s music and would be repaid in beers. They were wrong because the patrons’ immediate reaction was to grab the youths and throw them out. Next they employed a guard who would ensure that anyone below 18 years would be kept out of the premises as required by law.
Now what prompted the anger and surprise this particular Saturday at KSG was the violence in Mangochi where Minister of Home Affairs Uladi Mussa was attacked by people he believed to be sympathisers of his former party UDF. The patrons’ were not really sorry for Mussa as an individual anyway because they were not sure what business he was conducting there. And Mussa was not known for condemning violence while serving as a UDF Central region strongman. To them the whole event was a sad reminder of political party violence that has raged in the country since the advent of organised government in 1891.
Although the drunks were not sure of Mussa’s claims when he accused his former party UDF of masterminding the ambush at Mbaluku in Mangochi, they gave it the benefit of doubt. In the past five years UDF Young Democrats have terrorised innocent citizens in the name of supporting their leaders. In fact, they have at times been paid by the leaders to go and knock sense into their rivals. This is why following a similar pattern the KSG youths thought they could earn a few beers from the annoyed customers by undressing the harmless drunk.
The story of youths brewing political violence, Chimwamasana recalled, started with the Malawi Congress Party Youth League. These roughnecks who passed themselves as youths for convenience, basically carried the law in their own hands. They beat up at will real and perceived enemies of MCP, barred passengers from riding buses if they did not produce a party card which became more notorious than South Africa’s apartheid pass and generally forced men to fear their wives, who were supposed to be their leader Kamuzu Banda’s mbumba.
Then came Alliance for Democracy, this party has got its own brand of political violence that rarely involves youth. Top officials in this party usually carry out the fist fights themselves. One Yeremia Chihana is currently in prison for beating up a rival during the campaigns for general elections for a seat he eventually won and dramatically lost because of his conviction.
Then, the judge remembered what the suspended Aford President Chakufwa Chihana himself recently did in Lilongwe. The fallen leader entered a convention hall where his party wanted to elect new leaders, chased away the organisers, appointed himself returning officer and conducted elections which he overwhelmingly won.
Now the Democratic Progressive Party has come on the scene. Let us wait and see. One thing that portends upheaval is that it is composed of people who have red hands as far as political violence is concerned there is no doubt about that. |
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