Gaborone, Botswana (CNN) -- Sixteen members of Botswana opposition parties say they will boycott the official state visit of Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika this week.
"Mutharika is an autocrat who recently called upon the youth of his political party, the Democratic Progressive Party, to assault members of the opposition who criticize him," said Nehemiah Modubule, who belongs to the Botswana Movement for Democracy. "... My appearance on the same podium with him would amount to complicity in the harassment of opposition activists in Malawi."
Botswanan President Ian Khama invited Mutharika for a three-day state visit, which started Monday. All three opposition parties represented at Parliament -- the Botswana Congress Party and Botswana National Front are the other two -- said Malawi has seen a severe erosion in civil liberties and human rights under Mutharika's presidency.
Mutharika is scheduled to officially open the new Lobatse stadium Tuesday.
Modubule accused Mutharika of following in the footsteps of former Malawi dictator Hastings Kamuzu Banda, who ruled a one-party state. Mutharika's government has recently given his minister of information sweeping powers to arbitrarily close down the media houses without following normal judicial processes, Modubule said. "This is aimed at silencing independent press and browbeating journalists in Malawi to only report propaganda in favour of the government."
Dumelang Saleshando of the Botswana Congress Party said, "We are disappointed that the Botswana government, which in some instances adopts a hard-line approach towards undemocratic regimes, has decided to honor Mutharika with a state visit whilst his country slides towards repression of human rights."
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