Fresh and crisp fear creeps into the air in Malawi’s two major cities Lilongwe the capital city and Blantyre, the commercial city by Tuesday evening.
In Lilongwe, masked thugs, alleged to be supporters of the ruling party, smashed and burnt two of a private radio station’s vehicles within 24 hours. The station, Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) together with all other privately-owned media houses in the country have been giving platform to organizers of the protests who have come under heavy attack from government officials through the state-run broadcaster, The Malawi Broadcasting Corporation, MBC. MBC, in an attempt to dissuade Malawians from attending Wednesday's planned demonstrations, has lately carried news bulletins, claiming that Malawians are being duped about the demonstrations, whose real aim, is to show support for gay rights, for which civil society groups have received millions of kwacha.
In Blantyre the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) militia infested the streets of Blantyre i n DPP branded vehicles on Tuesday, threatening "to deal" with anybody opposing government in tomorrow’s demonstrations. Observers reported of a traumatic sight of how the militia, who wielded machetes, stopped at several points, got out their vehicles, sharpened their pangas and shouted threats.
Malawi is currently undergoing a severe fuel crisis, which began earlier this year, a recurrent episode of crippling shortages since 2009. The country has had severe forex shortages at a time when it is supposed to have plenty of it from tobacco sales, currently in season. On Thursday July 14th the British Government announced it had stopped giving budgetary support to the Malawi Government, citing concerns with the suppression of demonstrations, the intimidation of civil society organisations, and an Injunctions Bill that prevents citizens from obtaining court injunctions against the government. The British Government also argued that Malawi’s currency, the Kwacha, was overvalued, resulting in chronic forex shortages “which are having a serious impact on the Malawian private sector’s ability to drive future growth. There are now daily fuel queues, tobacco exports are at their worst and Malawi is off-track with its IMF programme.”
The political landscape has been tense since December 2010 when the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) expelled Rt. Hon. Joyce Banda, the country's Vice President, for what is widely believed to be a ploy for President Bingu wa Mutharika to pave way for his brother, Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika. The Vice President has since formed her own party, although officially she remains the country's Vice President.
President Bingu wa Mutharika has recently signed into law bills that have been met with wide criticism and resistance, including one empowering the Minister of Information to ban a publications deemed not to be in the public interest. A more recent law makes it impossible for individuals to obtain a court injunction and seek judicial redress against the government.
The University of Malawi has had two of its constituent colleges, Chancellor College and The Polytechnic, at a stalemate when lecturers started refusing to enter classrooms for fear of spies. The saga started in February this year when the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Peter Mukhito, summoned a Chancellor College political science lecturer, Dr Blessings Chinsinga, to question him for mentioning the uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt during a lecture.
There are fears that the July 20th mass demonstrations may turn violent. Supporters of President wa Mutharika and the DPP have announced a counter-demonstration on the same day. There are reports that 800 police officers are being specially trained to stop the demonstrations “with zero casualties” according to online newspaper Malawi Voice.
Up to until his re-election to a second term in May 2009, President Bingu wa Mutharika enjoyed broad support locally, and wide admiration abroad.
No comments:
Post a Comment