By Jones Gadama
The letter from Citizens for Justice and Equity dated 4th May 2026, notifying authorities of a planned demonstration on 7th May 2026, demands serious scrutiny from every Malawian who values peace, order, and common sense.
On the surface, the group claims it wants to “express public concern and demand accountability” over the alleged public assault incident involving Blantyre City Mayor Jomo Osman.
But when you strip away the constitutional language and the appeal to Section 38, what remains is a demonstration without a cause, a march without a mission, and a political stunt masquerading as civic action.
The truth is simple: this demonstration is useless, ill-timed, and carries ill intentions that Lilongwe authorities must reject outright.
To understand why this march should not be permitted, one must first ask: what exactly are they demonstrating against? The incident involving Mayor Jomo Osman has already been addressed comprehensively by the relevant authorities.
The Ministry of Local Government, under Honourable Ben Phiri, and the Ministry of Gender and Community Development, under Honourable Mary Navicha, jointly issued a public statement condemning the alleged act in the strongest terms. That is not silence. That is not impunity.
That is government acting. The two ministries made it clear that no public official is above the law and that human dignity must be protected at all times. What more does Citizens for Justice and Equity want from the Executive? Do they want a second condemnation for the same incident? Does outrage need to be performed twice to be valid?
Beyond ministerial action, the Malawi Police Service already summoned Mayor Osman regarding the matter, and he complied. In a country where suspects sometimes evade law enforcement, compliance matters. It means the legal process is working. Osman did not flee. He did not hide behind office or party. He presented himself to police as required.
Further to that, the Mayor issued a public apology where he expressed regret over the incident. An apology is not a legal acquittal, but it is an acknowledgement of wrong and a step toward public accountability.
If the matter is already before police, already condemned by two ministries, and already apologized for by the accused, then what is the objective of marching to five different offices on 7th May? The issue has been addressed through institutional channels. Demonstrating now is not demanding accountability; it is duplicating it.
This is why the Lilongwe District Commissioner and the Lilongwe City Council must not grant permission for this demonstration. The Public Order Act requires that assemblies be for legitimate purposes. Marching over a matter that has already been processed by ministries and police is not legitimate.
It is redundant. It wastes police resources that could be deployed to fight real crime. It disrupts business in Lilongwe at a time when Malawians are focused on economic recovery and development.
It also risks unnecessary tension between citizens and law enforcement for a cause that lacks substance.
More troubling is the character and history of the group organizing this march.
Citizens for Justice and Equity claims it will conduct the demonstration “peacefully, lawfully, and without any form of violence.” Yet some members of this same grouping have a documented record of intolerance toward other citizens’ constitutional rights. Two years ago in Lilongwe Mbowe, this group mobilized to prevent the Democratic Progressive Party from conducting its own peaceful demonstrations.
Unarmed DPP supporters were hacked and assaulted, denying them the very Section 38 rights that Citizens for Justice and Equity now invokes. You cannot preach peace with one hand while holding a panga in the other.
You cannot claim to defend the Constitution while you have previously shredded it for your opponents. Credibility matters in civic leadership. This group has none.
Even more concerning, some individuals linked to this grouping are already answering criminal charges of assault connected to previous demonstrations. The courts will determine their guilt or innocence, but the fact of the charges undermines their moral authority to lecture the nation on human dignity and rule of law.
How does a group with members facing assault cases lead a march against alleged assault? The hypocrisy is staggering. If Citizens for Justice and Equity truly cared about the rule of law, they would first clean their own house before pointing fingers at City Hall.
There is also a broader political context that Malawians cannot ignore. We are reliably informed that the Malawi Congress Party has historically used surrogate groups to destabilize political opponents. The 2020 playbook is still fresh in the public mind.
The nation was made ungovernable through waves of demonstrations that paralyzed services and scared investors. During that period, Dr. Lazarus Chakwera publicly declared he was “ready to shed blood,” and sadly, blood was shed. Malawians have not forgotten. Today, as the country prepares for the next chapter under the leadership of Professor Peter Mutharika, we cannot allow the same script to be replayed.
Citizens are tired of demonstrations that destroy rather than develop. They want roads, schools, fertilizer, jobs, and medicines, not running battles in the streets of Lilongwe.
The planned route itself raises questions. Why march to the American Embassy, British High Commission, and Norwegian Embassy over a domestic matter involving a mayor? What international dimension does an alleged assault in Blantyre have that warrants petitioning foreign missions? This is not international advocacy. It is international embarrassment. It signals to donors and investors that Malawi cannot resolve its internal matters through its own courts, police, and ministries. It paints the country as lawless when, in fact, the institutions acted.
The Ministry of Local Government acted. The Ministry of Gender acted. The Police acted.
The Mayor apologized. What, then, is the grievance?
Let us be clear: the right to demonstrate is not absolute. Section 38 must be balanced against public order, public safety, and the rights of others.
When a demonstration has no clear unresolved issue, when its organizers have a history of violence against other demonstrators, and when its timing threatens national stability, the State has a duty to say no.
The Lilongwe City Council and the District Commissioner should deny this application. Not out of vengeance, and certainly not to deny citizens their voice, but because there is no voice to be heard here. The matter is closed.
Malawi is at a critical moment. President Professor Peter Mutharika and the DPP have an important assignment to fix the economic and social mess left behind.
That work requires peace. It requires focus. It requires that every police officer is fighting crime, not escorting redundant marches. It requires that every investor sees stability, not street drama.
DPP peace defenders across the country have shown restraint. Despite provocation two years ago, despite the hacking of their members, they have not retaliated.
That is maturity. That is patriotism. But restraint should not be mistaken for weakness. Malawians will not accept a return to the chaos of 2020.
In conclusion, the planned demonstration by Citizens for Justice and Equity on 7th May 2026 is unnecessary, unjustified, and unsafe.
The Jomo Osman matter was addressed by two ministries, handled by police, and followed by a public apology. There is nothing left to demand.
The organizers lack clean hands, having violently blocked others from demonstrating in the past. Some of them are answering assault charges themselves.
Their chosen destinations reveal an intent to internationalize a closed domestic issue, which hurts Malawi’s image. And the political undertones suggest this is less about justice and more about destabilization.
For these reasons, this demonstration should not take place. Not on 7th May. Not at all. Malawi needs development, not destructive demos. Let the police finish their work. Let the courts do their job. Let Malawians go to work in peace.
