Todays’ demonstrations uncertain

A cloud of uncertainty surrounds the demonstrations slated for today (Wednesday) in Blantyre because the concerned consumers as we went to press had failed to secure permission from Blantyre City Council (BCC) to facilitate their movements.

BCC chief executive Ted Nandolo said the council has no information on how the demonstrations would be conducted.

He denied the organisers’ claims that the council refused to grant permission.

“To say that we have denied them permission is not correct. Nobody refused them permission. We simply said give us more information on the routes and how they wanted to conduct themselves, but they have not returned,” said Nandolo, referring to a meeting the council, police and organisers of the demonstrations had on Friday.

“They might have another agenda. We are more than willing to facilitate, but they are not coming forward,” said Nandolo.

Southern Region Police Headquarters spokesperson Nicholas Gondwa said police has no letter indicating that there will be demonstrations over the cost of living which organisers say remains unbearable for most consumers.

But one of the organisers Chawanangwa Msukwa stressed that demonstrations will be held as planned, claiming that the council was playing mind games to deny citizens expressing their rights to assembly and demonstrateing peacefully.

He said a lawyer was clearing the way of the demonstrations by seeking court’s intervention to prevent the police and council from blocking the demonstrators.

Msukwa in an interview said although there were no conclusive agreements on the meeting on Friday, the consumers will still hold the demonstrations.

“After presenting the petition to the chief executive, we will convene at the Upper Stadium and hold a vigil for 48 hours while we are waiting for a response from government. If there will be no responses, we will press on, consumers will decide the future,” he said.

The grouping announced in June their planned demonstrations, but their leader Harry Mikuwa was arrested early this month for allegedly claiming the demonstrations were organised by the Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama).

The concerned consumers want the President and her Cabinet to reduce external and internal travels to save money, that the President reduces further her Cabinet size, halts the floatation of the kwacha and that government makes a statement on the South Korea job export deal.

In January, Cama led a mass protest over the rising cost of living and wanted government to share the burden of the austerity measures.