July 20 prayers tomorrow in LL
Y
outh Association for Democracy in Malawi (Yadema) has organised national prayers at Kamuzu Institute for Sports (KIS) in Lilongwe tomorrow for victims ofJuly 20 anti-government protests in 2011.
Speaking yesterday at a press briefing for July 20 commemoration, Yadema secretary general Leon Matanda said Vice-President Khumbo Kachali will grace the commemoration, which he said will also include a solidarity march from Lilongwe Town Hall to KIS where the prayers will take place.
“As youths in the country, we say that 20th July should be permanently embedded in the history of Malawi. We should put our political differences aside and remember the souls of those people who died in July 2011,” said Matanda.
He said Yadema also organised a memorial service in Mzuzu last year to commemorate the day, saying this year’s commemoration will take place under the theme: ‘Reconciliation, Tolerance and Coexistence—Malawi is for All of Us.’
“This year, there is no way we can let the day go without doing anything. We have chosen the theme considering that we are going towards elections in 2014 when youth must embrace peace and coexistence,” said Matanda.
He said they will also raise funds for July 20 victims’ families during the commemoration. n
I wonder how many such prayers will take place. Did they die for freedom or they resisted a court order and instructions from the organisers to remain calm until the injunction was vacated? That surely was lawlessness. In addition, burning property and houses of innocent police officers, thereby affecting their innocent spouses and children was criminal, unreasonable and uncalled for.
Anger and frustration have a way of being tamed, and acts of violence are not one of them.
Breth, yes, the youth died for economic freedom and for return of human rights for which the Bingu had not contributed to in 1992; hence his “kunyenyanyenya” and shoot to kill philosopy. He absolutely had no love for the children of Malawi. Any wonder that he could amass K61 billion for himself – at that age!
I only would have wished that the prayers took place in Mzuzu where much of the youth blood was spilled. I also would have wanted the prayers to be presided over by civic leaders other than politicians – let alone ruling politicians.