Demos give protesters entertainment
The nationwide demonstrations to force Malawi Electoral Commission chairperson Jane Ansah to resign have turned out to be a haven for entertainment.
Inside the street protests, The Nation has observed that there is also fun and entertainment, which is ironic.
In Mzuzu, for instance, some protesters find solace in entertaining themselves through music, dance and comedy.
On Wednesday, different types of music was played on speakers mounted onto a roving vehicle to keep demonstrators entertained on the designated route.
Songs such as Mikanda kuti Lakata left the protesters glued to the ground as they danced to the tune, possibly to forget their sorrows.
Some composed their own protest songs such as Isweke Isweke, which became louder with an ending Pano ndi pa Home! whenever approaching the security personnel, subtly to tell the men in uniform that the protesters are not afraid of anything.
The events unfolded as if choreographed with another splinter group of protesters staging comic scenes of soldiers in combat as well as of another comic scene of Jane Ansah being defiant to resign.
Other protesters resorted to playing games and wearing funny attires.
One of the protesters, Andrea Phiri, said the demonstrations are a source of free entertainment for him which he can’t miss.
“I always look forward to these demonstrations to entertain myself. I take this as a form of free entertainment,” he said.
Phiri said Malawians are angry with the outcome of the elections, and that the demonstrations provide a better therapy through entertainment to drown out that anger.
“In our culture, we dance, sing and cry whether in sorrow or in happiness. So, this is exactly what we are doing during the demonstrations to express our sorrow over the elections,” he said.
In Blantyre, the situation was the same. Despite that the demonstrations started on a low note with no music, eventually a vehicle with music playing on loud speakers joined the demonstrators around Mbayani which rejuvenated the otherwise tense demonstrations.
The song Kwa George by Zambian artist B1 took centre-stage entertaining the demonstrators until the demonstrations ended.
“We are angry but we want to enjoy ourselves as well,” said a woman who refused to be identified as she danced to the music during the demonstrations.
