Africa-Press – Malawi. As the sun set on the 14th anniversary of the July 20, 2011 massacre, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) finds itself at the centre of growing public fury, with citizens, civil society, and survivors demanding more than just remembrance — they want justice, accountability, and an unequivocal public apology from the party responsible for one of the bloodiest days in Malawi’s democratic history.
In an emotionally charged commemoration held in Mzuzu on Sunday, families of the slain, civil rights veterans, religious leaders, and political figures painted a scathing picture of a party that has refused to reckon with its past — a party that presided over bloodshed and has since offered neither remorse nor restitution.
“These brave Malawians were brutally executed by a regime that saw peaceful protest as a threat. That regime was the DPP. That’s not an allegation — that’s a historical fact,” thundered veteran activist Undule Mwakasungula, one of the masterminds of the 2011 demonstrations. “How dare they parade themselves before us asking for votes, while the blood of our brothers and sisters remains unacknowledged?”
The July 20, 2011 demonstrations were a direct response to then-President Bingu wa Mutharika’s administration — characterised by corruption, economic collapse, fuel shortages, and a growing climate of repression. But what was meant to be a peaceful protest ended in horror: 21 innocent lives gunned down in cold blood by state security agents under DPP’s command.
To this day, not a single official has been prosecuted. Not one police officer has faced justice. Not one family has received compensation. Malawi’s silence, many say, has become deafening.
“It is not just a betrayal — it is an insult,” said Mary Mbezuma, a family representative for the victims. “We live every day with scars while the very architects of our pain walk freely, campaign freely, and smile on posters asking for votes. Where is their conscience?”
In a country that prides itself on progress and democracy, many see DPP’s continued refusal to apologise or take responsibility as a cruel mockery of justice. Their silence is not just suspicious — it is damning.
Political figures present at the commemoration did not mince words. Frazer Chunga of the Freedom Party delivered a powerful rebuke: “How can the DPP dare remain silent on a day like this? The party should hang its head in shame and offer an unconditional apology to the nation. That is the least they can do for the lives they shattered.”
Meanwhile, Goodwin Mvula, representing the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), acknowledged the pain of the victims and called for a national healing process — but not without truth and accountability.
Even in the solemn presence of government officials like Dr. Elizabet Gomani Chindebvu, and activists like Gift Trapence and Moses Mkandawire, one question echoed louder than any anthem or prayer: Why has justice not been served?
The DPP, whose hands many say are stained with the blood of 21 Malawians, has not only failed to account — it has brazenly continued with politics as usual, as if July 20 never happened. No truth. No remorse. No justice.
“A country that forgets its victims and embraces their killers,” Mwakasungula warned, “is not a democracy. It is a disgrace.”
As Malawi inches closer to the September 2025 elections, the spectre of July 20 hangs heavily. The DPP cannot run from it. The people are demanding more than votes — they are demanding truth, memory, and above all, an apology.
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