…activists condemn the party
By Temwanani Gondwe
The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is facing strong condemnation from youth activists following the circulation of a viral video clip showing young party supporters clad in the party regalia distributing Chibuku opaque beer to fellow youths during a political gathering.
The video, which has triggered widespread concern, shows visibly intoxicated youths chanting political slogans while others stagger with beer packets bought and handed out by DPP operatives.
The footage has not only raised questions about the party’s engagement with young people but also sparked a broader debate on the moral responsibilities of political institutions towards the youth.
Emmanuel Katsabola, Executive Director of the Young Politicians Association of Malawi, did not mince words in condemning the incident.
“That kind of exploitation of the youth is unacceptable,” said Katsabola in an interview. “The party that wants to go into government cannot be distributing beer to young people instead of restraining them from such behaviour. It is not just a bad example, it is dangerous.”
Katsabola said political parties must nurture the political consciousness of young people, not reduce them to tools of intoxicated fanfare.
“This kind of political engagement is archaic. Young people should be equipped with civic education and policy knowledge, not Chibuku. If a party has to sedate its followers to earn loyalty, then it has nothing meaningful to offer,” said Katsabola.
His sentiments were echoed by Chikondi Mussa, a youth rights advocate who described the incident as a deliberate attempt to distract young people from demanding accountability.
“It is disheartening to see a party that ruled this country for close to a decade normalising such irresponsible behaviour. Giving beer to the youth is a form of political sedation, it numbs them to critical thinking and blinds them to real issues like unemployment, access to education and health services,” said Mussa.
Mussa further challenged the DPP leadership to apologise and publicly commit to more responsible forms of youth engagement.
“Instead of this reckless conduct, the DPP should be organising policy clinics and entrepreneurship workshops for young people. If the youth are the future, then what kind of future is being built here?” she asked.
Political analyst Victor Chipeta also weighed in on the matter, warning that the DPP’s approach could backfire as Malawians are becoming increasingly alert to political gimmicks.
“While distributing beer may win cheers and short-term loyalty, it does long-term damage to the party’s image. It reduces political mobilisation to intoxicated chanting rather than meaningful dialogue. Malawians are watching, and many will not take a party seriously if this is how it engages the youth,” said Chipeta.
Chipeta said the video reflects a broader crisis within the DPP’s internal culture, one that lacks a clear vision for youth development and instead resorts to populist tactics.
“As we approach the next general elections, parties need to understand that the youth vote is not just about numbers, it is about values, trust and vision. Beer will not fix anything. Chibuku will not provide their needs. The party needs to do better,” said Chipeta.
Despite the backlash, DPP spokesperson Shadric Namalomba has not issued any official response, further fueling public suspicion that the party does not intend to take responsibility for the incident.
The incident comes shortly after President Lazarus Chakwera, the Malawi Congress Party’s presidential candidate, engaged with the youth through platforms such as SONA for the Youth, the Malawi Podcast and Mijedo Television.
