Chinsinga says peaceful protests signal ‘maturity’ of Malawi democracy
University of Malawi’s Chancellor College Political Professor Blessings Chinsinga has hailed the Civil Society Organizations (CSO’s) for holding peaceful demonstrations which he says symbolizes the maturity of Malawi’s democracy.
He has also applauded the Malawi government for letting the people exercise their constitutional right.
Chinsinga said it is good that the demonstrations took place though it will have little impact due to low turn up.
“The impact is quiet limited because it is not many people who took part; this is good because as a country we are maturing in democracy” said Chinsinga.
Chinsinga has since appealed to the government to open room for dialogue with the CSO’s in order to solve the people’s concerns amicably.
CSO leader led scores of Malawians across the country’s major cities including Karonga in holding peaceful demonstrations where they also submitted petitions to government through respective City Council Offices though they which were slowed down due to heavy rains.
The protestors delivered a 100-day ultimatum to government calling for financial and electoral reforms.
Protesters also demanded the return of K5 million donated by the National Aids Commission to first lady Gertrude Mutharika’s charity organisation, Beautify Malawi (Beam).
Beam has no connection with the issue of HIV and Aids, and the donation is seen as a handout to the president’s wife.
“We have given them a hundred days to respond to our petition. We have asked Beam to return the money to the National Aids Commission within three weeks,” one of the protest organisers, Gift Trapence, who is the executive director for the Centre of the Development of People, said.
Civil society organisations are also demanding the speedy implementation of electoral laws that would require the elected president to get more than 50% of the votes cast, said Trapence.
The petition also raised other issues including the slow pace slow pace of (K92 billion and K13 billion) cash-gate cases and divided interests, women empowerment, civil Servants salary increments undermining the principle of equity, shortage of drugs and poor health service delivery and poor Delivery of Social Services.
They have since warned that unspecified action will be taken if government does not imply.
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chinsinga an idiot.a jb material when commenting
No matter how many ppl participated but they represented all of us,bcz we all suffer the same.Some of you who claim that it was jst a waste of time, you must be stupid and mad.
you stupid malawians why divided
busy brains unabadwa osa khwima eti kubadwa una badwa ngati nkhandwe fisi odya kakasi mbuzi yomangolota kubwira deya.
Busy Brain chamba chikupengesani musiye mapeto ake muzipha ndi nsanje,
Komadi its important kumafunsa ma ordinary view,ie from streets, villages,minibuses, not just always a Chinsinga, eee, a Kanyongolo,etc,etc.sikuti a Chinsinga amalakwa ayi, komano timangofuna kumamvanso ma views a ena, abale.
It is not about the numbers, but delivering the message. When you imagine how the national broadcaster cartooned itself regarding these demos and the fact that they actually took place, then you begin to understand just how big an achievement it was. [The MBC TV ‘interview between Vincent and Sembereka was a particularly low point – Sembereka was complaining that he was driving, but Vincent would have none of it, his mission was to discredit Sembereka at all costs. This was pathetic journalism]. Democracy must be jealously safeguarded. We should allow DPP to dictate how we should all think and… Read more »
you may hate the northeners bt u wil not finish them, i hop ku south kuli ma demo a natural mulungu wakwiya nanu ndikuzikonda kwanu ndi ulamuliro wanu wosakhana mitundu, shupit zanu.
lts MCP and PP dat organisd those demoz thats y Kabwira wz delivering ppo 2 dat place, Kabwira u hv jst westd ur mony energy and tym, we dont need ur stupd Idias and behaviaz in dis country. Kachibwenzi kako kaja umkakapanga zimenezi nw thn anakusiya nw u wantd 2 b doing dat 2 dis country?
We forget that what happened on 20 July,2011 is still fresh in people’s memory. Malawian demonstrations will only attract huge numbers if mobilised by a rulling party because it has all necessary machiner and its government controls the shooters . Even Kapito’s demos attracted few people. The ‘shoot to kill’ killed bravery in Malawians. Iam very disappointed that Mr Chinsinga has not seen the importance of the principle behind the demos. It is only people whose lives are now completely controlled by partisan politics,tribalism,nepotism,regionalism of the ruling leadership and party who confine their thoughts to defend rather than seeing the… Read more »