Maravi

A lesson against political violence

A lesson against political violence
By The Post
Thu 11 Nov. 2010, 04:00 CAT

The conviction and jailing of MMD Lusaka Province youth chairman Chris Chalwe for violence of a political nature against journalists Chibaula Silwamba and Anthony Mulowa will help put an end to this growing scourge.

And senior resident magistrate David Simusamba is right in noting that “the offence committed was of a political nature and that it was becoming rampant to our young democracy”. But what is sad in this whole issue is that Chris is not the real criminal behind this crime.

The real criminals will never be arrested and convicted for violence of a political nature because they use the impoverished unemployed youths to commit political crimes on their behalf. Ultimately, Chris is not evil; his inhumanity has been foisted upon him by selfish, heartless and intolerant political leaders in his political party. Chris behaves like a brut because he is rewarded for brutish behaviour.

Clearly, the ultimate issue may now well be how to prevent our youths from being used to carry out acts of violence against the political opponents of their masters. If we don’t arrest this violence, our people will lose the habit of thinking and exchanging creative views and thoughts. People will have no real interest in the future nation – only the present will owe them anything.

We shouldn’t allow our politicians, especially those in government, to hold the common citizen to ransom. The tragedy of our leaders is their inability to value every single innocent life and bring happiness to their people without making them feel they alone have a sacred right to rule.

We hope from Chris’ case, our youths will realise the selfishness of the people they are serving, of those who reward them for committing political crimes against their own people. All along, Chris used to think he was well protected and no one could touch him, let alone have him sent to prison for political violence.

For a long time, Chris and his friends were a law unto themselves. Even police officers feared to touch them. It took a lot of persistent effort to have this matter before our courts of law. All efforts were made to try and frustrate it. But unexpected things sometimes do occur in life. It gets dark sometimes, but the morning comes. There is no need for us to accept these standards, the standards of violence set by selfish politicians.

We shouldn’t surrender to these criminals. Yes, things are sometimes hard. But we shouldn’t surrender because suffering breeds character and character breeds faith. In the end, faith will not disappoint. What looked impossible has become possible. Who could have imagined Chris being jailed for political violence!

When things became too hot, Chris was abandoned by his masters. They were not even helping him with legal fees; he was going to court alone. And today, he will be alone in jail. Although it is sad that Chris is going to jail alone while his sponsors are nowhere near to help him, he deserves it.

Chris is a grown-up youth with a wife and children who should have known that the wages of violence is prison. If an adult accepts to commit a crime on behalf of another person, they have to accept the consequences of what they are doing. For the privileges that Chris was enjoying by being seen to be the most willing to maim or kill on behalf of Rupiah Banda, going to jail may not be a bad price to pay for his crime.

Political violence was starting to get out of hand and something had to be done to try and stop it. Senior resident magistrate Simusamba’s conviction of Chris could not have come at a better time than this. We say this because campaigns for the 2011 elections will soon get into top gear. And if this type of crime is allowed to go unpunished, democracy, peace and stability will be threatened in our country. Political violence can only do one thing, and that is to breed counter-violence.

We hope Chris’ conviction will make our youths realise that the use of violence against anyone is something that puts them next to animals. And as we have stated before, no doctrine, no principle or proclaimed political position can justify the atrocious acts of political violence that Chris was engaged in. No crime can be committed in the name of politics. There is need for political tolerance.
The use of political violence by anyone is against justice. Political violence is injustice.

We cannot talk of peace in this country without justice. The future of our country and the happiness of our people will depend on the kind of peace we establish in our country. There is the peace of death. There is the peace one experiences after the total extermination of one’s enemies. There is the peace in which no guns are fired but in which people are trodden under foot, harassed, humiliated, assaulted and very unhappy. There is the peace in which people do not talk to one another, the peace of the dumb, because hate and fear one another; because there is selfishness, greed, pride and so many other walls they have built between themselves. Indeed we need peace that is worthy of human beings and enjoyed by everyone. No human being will exert one’s energy for meaningless peace.

Political dissent and criticism should not be criminalised. More time should be spent in seeking ways and means to improve the quality of life of our people. A nation united in purpose, in pursuit of true ideals such as justice and truth cannot fail to enjoy the blessings of peace.

Hatred is more than want of love. It separates us interiorly from our neighbour. It destroys the only sound basis of civil life. It is directed against a person of our neighbour. Hatred grieves at the propensity and rejoices at the adversity of others, exaggerates their faults and discounts their virtues. It wishes evil, and it does not stop at malediction, calumny and detraction, but often assails the very life. Hence, the Bible says: “Whoever hateth ones neighbour is a murderer” (John 3:15). Again: “If a person says he loves God but hates one’s neighbour, that person is a liar” (1 John 4:21).

The political violence that Chris was involved in is a terrible demonstration of what hatred can do. To live together peacefully and harmoniously, we must learn to tolerate the differences that exist among us. Peace is a frail and fragile possession. So much in us and about us conspires against peace. Progress would be destroyed by greed for power. The forces of discord that unleash themselves in violence are hidden in every human heart. Too often they surface, to the great distress of others, in the frequently lamented evils of injustice in all its sordid and selfish guises. We shouldn’t forget that any form of injustice lays a foundation for violence. For this reason, we should oppose and denounce injustice in all its forms or manifestations. We hope our courts of law will do more to stop this culture of political violence. And we appeal to all our youths to learn something from Chris’ conviction and jailing.

Labels: CHRIS CHALWE, EDITH NAWAKWI, POLITICAL VIOLENCE, WILLIAM BANDA

posted by MrK @ 6:34 PM