Political commentator Emmanuel Luleya Makatani of Blantyre has strongly condemned what he has described as a growing culture of disrespect and personal attacks in Malawi's political parties, warning that such behaviour is poisoning democracy and destroying the very foundations of political movements.
Makatani has specifically called on the UTM Party to rein in its social media teams and communication officials, accusing them of allowing the public humiliation and vilification of Newton Kambala, one of the founding pioneers of the party.
According to Makatani, who is popularly known as "Mfumu ya Ndodo", there has been a wave of posts circulating on social media accusing Kambala of causing divisions within UTM and undermining the leadership of party president Dr Dalitso Kabambe.
Makatani dismissed these claims as reckless, insulting and dangerous, saying they amount to an attack on the soul of the party itself.
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He described Kambala as a calm, elderly and highly respected figure who deserves honour, not abuse, from the very movement he helped build from the ground up.
"Insulting Newton Kambala is the same as insulting your own father or mother," Makatani said. "This is a man who sacrificed his time, energy and reputation to establish this party. You cannot erase history just because power has changed hands."
He warned that if UTM allows its pioneers to be publicly ridiculed, it sends a chilling message to all loyal members and supporters that service and sacrifice mean nothing.
"This culture of political cannibalism, where parties eat their own elders, is a sign of moral decay. It shows a party that has lost its values and its memory," he said.
However, UTM spokesperson Felix Njawala distanced the party from the attacks, arguing that it is difficult to discipline anyone because the social media posts are anonymous and not officially linked to the party.
Njawala said there is no concrete evidence that those insulting Kambala are members of the UTM communication team.
"It is hard to know who to speak to, because there is no real proof. These people do not use their real names. Anyone can write anything on social media," Njawala said.
He added that UTM itself is also a victim of online attacks and that the party has not yet identified who is behind the posts.
Meanwhile, Patrick Kampira, a former UTM shadow MP candidate for Chikwawa East, also questioned whether the individuals attacking Kambala truly belong to the party.
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He said UTM is built on peace and unity and that there is no serious internal conflict.
But Makatani insists that silence from leadership is not enough.
He argues that even if the attacks are anonymous, the party has a moral duty to publicly defend its pioneers and set clear standards of respect.
"When a founding father is being dragged in the mud and leadership keeps quiet, that silence becomes approval," he said.
In his view, the treatment of Kambala is not just about one man. It is a test of whether UTM is a serious national movement with principles, or just another political vehicle that discards its builders once they are no longer useful.
