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Zimbabwe Briefing Issue 36
Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition (SA Regional Office)
July 27, 2011

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On Malawi's demonstrations

The events of July 20 are a reflection of people's true feelings over poor economic and democratic governance that have almost become a daily occurrence in Malawi.

Over the last couple of years, political leaders have scaled up their defiance of the rule of law, effecting various acts of intimidation and violation of people's constitutional rights.

Almost every constitutionally guaranteed freedom is now under attack in Malawi from free speech to freedom of association to academic freedom.

Malawi is also currently facing a series of catastrophes on multiple fronts due to economic mismanagement and democratic derogation by the incumbent leadership and administration. But instead of owning up, the authorities desperately blame everyone rather than their own poor performance for the fuel and forex crises and other problems that have taken shine off the much touted "economic miracle".

Reasons provided by the current administration regarding the causes to the fuel and forex shortages have been unsatisfactory and at times embarrassingly derisive.

Most people will agree that the current leadership and its administration has not demonstrated to the nation the ability to reverse the dismal situation any time soon and the resultant of uncertainty merely serves to intensify the sense of doom and gloom afflicting the nation.

Amidst all this, the current leadership has continues to excessively and responsibly squander public funds without consultation and with cavalier disregard for current economic hardships afflicting the populace created by the mismanagement.

The list of anomalies is lengthy, but some major issues include the secret purchase in 2010, of a private jet costing US$13 million - equivalent to half the budgetary support that Malawi's major donor contributed. The purchase went on regardless of condemnation from different stakeholders within Malawi and beyond.

The amount spent was equivalent to annual salaries of approximately 5,000 nurses or approximately 11, 555 primary school teachers.

At the beginning of 2011, the President secretly awarded a contract to his wife, the First Lady, Callista Mutharika, leading to a payment in arrears of MK6, 400,400 for the period the contract was signed, and subsequent salary of MK1, 300,000 per month- ostensibly for doing charity work.

The First Lady's salary is equivalent to monthly salaries for 30 nurses or 93 primary school teachers.

All this has necessitated action to show the leadership that Malawians are not happy with this state of affairs.

After the foiled Valentine's Day protests, civil society organisations finally settled for July 20 as the date for nationwide peaceful demonstrations. But far from being peaceful, the demonstrations turned out to be the most violent and deadly the country has seen in over a decade.

As many people had feared, the authority did everything in their power to frustrate the demonstration.

On Tuesday 19th July, on the eve of the demonstration, an injuction was granted by the High Court at the eleventh hour by ruling party agents.

In the morning of 20th July, 11 civil society activists were detained by police who were at the starting point in Lilongwe. Later, police descended on civil society leaders, journalist and political leaders who had sought refugee at a CCAP Church premises while awaiting the outcome of a legal challenge against the injunction, beating them up severely.

Elsewhere, at least 18 people were killed while several sustained injuries during the protests that engulfed Malawi's major cities and towns. Lots of property was damaged; DPP vehicles were smashed while business premises belonging to party leaders and senior government officials, including government spokesperson Symon Vuwa Kaunda, were looted and burnt to ashes.

A lot of people have pointed out that the ugly scenes that ensued could have been avoided had "some quarters" not tried to frustrate the demonstrations by throwing spanners in the works; hence heightening the marches' emotions.

Despite the violence, civil society and other concerned managed to present their petition to the State President through various authorities. However, it is sad that instead of responding to issues, the President has become aggressive and vicious in his remarks.

The President has recently threatened that he will "smoke out" activists and all those who were part of organising the demonstrations from their hiding places. This shows a regime hatching plans to crackdown on those who arganised the demonstrations. It also shows that the struggle for justice and democratic governance in Malawi has just begun.

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