Reports that officers from the Malawi Police Service (MPS) entered the private residence of former President Lazarus Chakwera in Lilongwe on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, have ignited intense public debate. Understandably, such actions raise concerns about political intimidation, harassment, or the misuse of state machinery. But amid this debate, one democratic principle must remain clear and uncompromised: no citizen—however powerful or previously esteemed—is above the law.
If Chakwera is suspected of any wrongdoing during or after his time in office, the law should take its course fairly, transparently, and free from political interference. Selective justice has no place in a functioning democracy. Ordinary Malawians face arrest for minor offences—sometimes as small as stealing a chicken—so it would be unjust for those with influence or political clout to enjoy immunity.
But this principle cuts both ways. Law enforcement officers must also act within the law. Professionalism, respect for human rights, and strict adherence to due process are mandatory. Malawi must reject two extremes: leaders who believe they are untouchable, and security agencies that behave as though they are above legal scrutiny.
What Malawians want is simple: a justice system that acts on evidence, not emotion; on legality, not loyalty; on facts, not political winds. If Chakwera is innocent, due process will clear his name. If he has questions to answer, accountability must follow without fear or favour.
This is what genuine democracy requires. Only when the law applies equally to everyone—from a villager accused of livestock theft to a former president accused of misgovernance—can Malawi truly claim to be a nation governed not by power or privilege, but by justice.
