CAMA takes consumer issues to the street

The Consumers Association of Malawi (CAMA) is on Thursday morning storming the streets of the Blantyre city, marching for the basic rights of all consumers.

The march will coincide with the organization’s commemoration of World Consumer Rights Day, which normally falls on 15th March.

CAMA Executive Director, John Kapito told Nyasa Times, the march would culminate with a launch of Poor Lives Matter, a project that focuses on protecting the lives of poor Malawians by bargaining for better good and services as well as improved social and economic status.

Kapito said CAMA would be joined by all consumers in exercising their constitutional right to commemorate the World Consumer Rights Day while marching in solidarity against social and economic injustices.

“We are holding a vigil and a march in the streets of Blantyre starting from Blantyre Old Town Hall through Chipembere Highway to Chichiri Shopping Mall back to Blantyre Old Town Hall,” explained Kapito.

Through the Poor Lives Matter, CAMA takes on government, the opposition political parties and donors for failing the nation through poor policies and lack of good governance.

According to some of the points raised under the project, CAMA accuses government and the opposition for failing poor Malawians on social and economic services delivery, arguing lack of good leadership has made Malawians become poor.

“Poor people are dying of hunger due to lack of vision by the leadership. Give us maize now not promises. Poor people are spending days and nights on long queues for maize at empty Admarc depots. Prices of basic goods and services are beyond the reach of poor Malawians.

“Government has failed to operationalize the Consumer Protection law thereby creating poverty amongst consumers. Poor people are   failing to access health services including food in public hospitals. Malawians were promised that the Malawi Kwacha   would not depreciate  under the current administration,” argues Kapito.

Kapito also has also taken swipe on donors for imposing on Malawians values and culture that are contrary to their tradition.

He added: “Donors should not take advantage of the economic and social status of the poor to create parallel structures of governance. Donors must stop having double standards when dealing with our elected leaders”.

World Consumer Rights Day is an annual event where Consumers all over the world commemorate the rights and obligations of Consumers on 15^th of March every year with different themes depending on the status and issues facing Consumers in different parts of the world.  The main objective of the day is to raise consumer awareness on consumer rights and responsibilities.

 

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