DPP cadets mar glittering Labour Day activities, clash with workers on May Day

Ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) cadets and overzealous ruling party supporters on Monday marred the Labour Day activities in Blantyre as they clashed with some workers.

It all started when the workers, most of whom are Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU) members sang songs based on the challenges they are facing.

In one song, the workers lamented high taxes that are making them poorer than ever before.

However, this did not go down well with the notorious DPP cadets and some party supporters who insinuated the workers were insulting President Peter Mutharika.

They then started singing songs in praise of Mutharika and his DPP, drowning the voices of the workers who were commemorating the International Labour Day.

The cadets claimed union leaders mobilised Malawi Congress Party (MCP) members and gave them union t-shirts to sing bad songs about the president and his DPP.

Union leaders who spoke at the function lamented of low pay and poor working conditions.

Mutharika then ordered his Labour, Manpower Development and Sports minister Henry Mussa to institute talks with the MCTU and workers representatives to raise minimum wage which is pegged at K690 per day.

However, Mutharika, Mussa and union officials who spoke did not speak of the clashes between the DPP supporters and the workers.