Parliament proceedings were temporarily suspended on Tuesday after chaos erupted when government MPs blocked the playing of CCTV footage showing people who vandalized vehicles belonging to two Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Members of Parliament.
Speaker of the National Assembly Catherine Gotani Hara was forced to halt the session as tempers flared between government and opposition benches.
The tension began when the opposition demanded the immediate playing of CCTV footage showing the group that damaged vehicles in Parliament's parking lot on Monday. However, the government side insisted that the house should first watch a different clip showing Thyolo Central MP Ben Phiri (DPP) allegedly entering the CCTV control room before the vandalism took place.
Government MPs, including George Zulu (Lilongwe City West - MCP), accused Phiri of masterminding the violence by buying MCP t-shirts and distributing them to people who later carried out the vandalism. Zulu claimed that Phiri's movements needed to be scrutinized before playing the vandalism footage.
Phiri did not object to the government's demands, saying:
"We can watch all the videos, in whichever sequence. I have no problem with that."
However, the footage that was played cleared Phiri of being the first to access the CCTV control room -- as it showed that other opposition MPs had entered before him.
Despite this revelation, the government side insisted on seeing what Phiri did inside the control room -- a request the Speaker rejected, saying there are no cameras installed inside the CCTV control room.
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Leader of the House Richard Chimwendo Banda and Minister of Natural Resources Owen Chomanika dismissed the initial footage as inconclusive, arguing that it did not fully exonerate Phiri.
Further chaos ensued when Dedza South MP Ishmael Onani (MCP) accused Zomba Malosa MP Grace Kwelepeta (DPP) of standing near the Speaker's vehicle, suggesting she could be planting something suspicious -- a claim that angered the opposition side.
As the back-and-forth continued, opposition MPs insisted on watching the footage showing the actual suspects behind the vandalism, but government MPs stood their ground to block it -- forcing the Speaker to suspend proceedings.
The development has heightened tensions in the house, with opposition MPs accusing the government of shielding the real culprits behind the vandalism.
