HRDC call for Malawi ‘lockdown’ amid Covid rising cases, death toll: ‘Close schools, borders’

January 13, 2021 Owen Khamula - Nyasa Times 61 Comments

Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has called for complete lockdown to curb the rising cases of Covid-19 in the country.

Trapence: Calls for schools to close

This follows the death of two powerful cabinet ministers; Sidik Mia and Lingson Belekanyama yesterday due to the virus pandemic.

In a statement, signed by HRDC Chairperson Gift Trapence and  National Coordinator Luke Tembo says the rights activists are calling for more extraordinary measures for the country to deal away with the pandemic.

HRDC has further proposed that  schools be closed  immediately, seal borders at the entry points into the country and airports and only allow essential goods to pass through in order to minimize further spread of the virus.

“We need to scale up the social cash transfers and any other  strategy that is at our disposal, “said HRDC.

This however is in contrary to what HRDC has been doing by challenging lockdowns that have been effected before.

Last year, HRDC and other groupings successfully challenged a 21 day national lockdown that former president Peter Mutharika imposed.

The grouping had argued that it felt that government had not clearly outlined cushioning measures for low income earners.

But now HRDC said in a statement: “Time has come for Malawians to divorce politics from Covid-19.

“We need every Malawian to pull in the same direction. We implore Malawians to diligently protect themselves and others from contracting this deadly virus.”

Over the last two weeks, there has been a general rise in new infections and deaths and the total confirmed cases are now slightly near 10 thousand.

However, President Lazarus Chakwera on Tuesday challenged Malawians to exercise Covid-19 measures and said he was consulting on more stricter measures, including a possibility of declaring a ‘State of Emergency’ where the military and police will enforce a curfew.

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61 replies on “HRDC call for Malawi ‘lockdown’ amid Covid rising cases, death toll: ‘Close schools, borders’”

  1. Dziko lokutha kale ndi njala, matenda a Hiv, tb, dirty unclean water, corrupt officials, no medicine and equipment in hospitals. Economy yoti even gawd himself cant fix. You want to force lock down. You want anthu oti akufa kale to continue dying and starving over a fake pseudo virus. People will die just from breathing their own VOMIT IN THE MASK.
    God made you to breath oxygen and here you are locking down as if mukagula ma coffin when people start dropping like leaves. Why dont you fake busas and fake ministers take a leaf out of Mwagafuli, out of Nana Akufors page and ask them how they are managing. And these are well of African countries compared to the refugee camp called Malawi. This whole forced locked downs on poor people is just for show so that you Evil Mcp satanic goons can score money with Eurpoean goverments. Well news flash blackamoors. They intend to make sure the death count include you ministers and that EVIL CHAKWERA FAKE PASTOR. The banks are closed no more welfare for corrupt goverments. But keep on copying from people who are 1000 years ahead of you . The problem with Malawi is not poverty is the devil leaders who want to continue to use their people for material gains. and This goverment run by Chakwera is the last one in Malawi

  2. Tsekani nsanga school Ana athu asanalipile fees kma ma church okha musiye… Mwina mufuna tilipile fees then mutseke school pozatsekulaso tizalipileso fees Ina.. Zimatiwawa amalawi enafe tikamabetsa fees chonchi kulingati kuthila madzi mu nyanja

  3. Hrdc chairman gift trapence is the most stupid of all since he is the one who obtained the injunction. Has he opened his eyes now bcz the late minister is from lower shire? When did he go back to court to revoke his stupid injunction?

  4. Very unfortunate….Not very same people who block the then government from implementing the lockdown …what is it now that they want it….. shame

    1. Very big shame shame shame shame shame 😂😂😂 ayiwala zakale mmalawi akafuna kulemela amaiwala zakale that’s what HRDC members do

  5. I wonder why schools and sometimes churches are always the first things to be mentioned in terms of closures not bars and markets where people also meet in large numbers. I am believe that this Covid is an evil creation from darkness kingdom aiming at killing moral as well as educational values of societies.

    Thumbs up Owen Khamula, you have written a well balanced and objective article in terms of the workings of HRDC. I would wish to know if all arrangements to help poor people are in order before the lockdown which Trapence is proposing.

  6. President is suppose to take the decision on Closures of Schools as our President is Just Running Around like Headless Chicken and Fasting
    Will Fasting Reduce the Death or Cases of COVID in Malawi
    We do not understand what Chakwera wants to prove by 21 Days Fasting Chakwera is just playing around with Poor Malawians Minds

  7. Don’t just rush to force a lock-down. Don’t forget the arguments that you made when you sought and we’re granted an injunction on the same last year. Most Malawians are still amongst poorest in the world, living on hand to mouth, day-to-day basis. Most of us cannot even afford basic necessities especially with the slow down of the economy during the ‘pandemic’. If there is to be a lock-down, it will just worsen things. In fact, it will be worse for most Malawians than covid itself. We managed to reduce the figures of the initial wave to almost zero, we can do it again. From what I have gathered, the rise mortality is due to the new laissez faire approach that our medics have adopted. People are dying because they are not being assisted at our health institutions. For instance, a close friend had a relation who was diabetic. His sugar levels shot through the roof and he was rushed to the hospital for medical treatment. Sadly, he was not assisted in anyway. Medial personnel at MDH just told them to go back and that it was covid. They were told to report whatever happens back to the hospital. They did this even without testing. The family and the patient were not escorted for the purposes of contact tracing and that they should not spread further, had it been the case in the first wave. It down not take a rocket-scientist to conclude that the patient died – diabetis, left untreated kills at the worst and it maims if it leaves you alive. When the hospital leant of his demise, that’s when they went full throttle: running the burial and disinfecting the patient’s place. He did not die of breathlessness, he did of high sugar which the hospital did not attend to in a bid to outdo other districts in running high COVID-19 figures. When we say these figures are not realistic this is what is happening. People had been dying before COVID-19 of other causes but now is seems everyone is dying of covid and nothing else.

    So, HRDC and those of you of similar thought, if you want a lock-down, please, lock yourself down. Nobody will complain. But leave us to eke out a living the way we do. We have no savings to leave on and we have no donors to take care of our basis needs. Unless, of course, if you will foot our bills, otherwise, shut up!

  8. Idiots!!! Adadi once sudgested about it b4 madzi mumkhosi but munali patsogolo bzy ma injunctions with that idiot judge Kenyata now muli ng’wi ng’wi ng’wi!! Idiots

  9. Zitsilu, u went to Kenyata unite da to get an injunction, pano Mwaphetsa anthu now u want corona to be taken serious?? Inu mbuzi eti!!

  11. The reasons as to why the first supposed lockdown was stopped still remain. How do you help the poor?

    1. not even a solution, when u close u will find all the chidren in video showrooms and playing in groups where the risk is very high. see all the cases are not school going children?

  12. Executive arm of govt is the one that make decisions and not HRDC. You are the same grouping you challenged APM now why today advocating for lockdown? Injunction munakachotsa? Kodi mmadzimva ngati ndani? And you political leaders who are in power you are to blame your were behind these ppo causing havoc in this country during APM regime komatu Mulungu akulangani anthu inu if you dont ask forgiveness from God on what you did to APM i assure you God will sevrely punish because there is no way that time APM amawoneka ngati wopanda nzeru bcoz of you who are ruling now together with HRDC. Mtambo amvekere ndikuyamba politics in order to save malawians better how? HRDC please kudzichepetsa nkwabwino first pepesani kwa madala APM and God will have mercy on our land this i challenge you. Chilima in Mangochi said in countries where covid was confirmed ppo were dying first nanga samafuna zimenezi kaye kuti ppo shud die ngati ntchenche first then he will know that covid is real. Chonde tisamasewere pa ulimbo komanso ndale and something that concerns ppo’s lives should be separated politics aside koma kugwirana manja ndiko as bwana APM has rightly said. Bravo bwana former president APM may you live long for the wisdom and love you have

  13. Bwanji osangoletsa ana akowo kupita ku sukuliko and why are you targeting schools only. Panopa nde boma lidzathandiza anthu during lockdown?????

  14. Komanso iwe trapency at u listening to it self. Lockdown ichitika bwanji Pali injunction. Ukamamva kudziotcha manja ndiye kumeneku. Ukuona ngati anakuchotsela ndi ndani injunction yakoyo. Komatu iwe usatitengele kokatiyesa. Iwe utichimwitsa ndithu.Eesh.

  15. Where is the president? Why should HRDC dictate what to do. A President anasakhidwa kuti atsongolele mtundu wa amalawi, ndipo analumbila kuti adzateteza mtundu onse panthawi ya mavuto ngati amenewa. Koma Mene zikuonekela zikukhalangati ayiwalila malumbilo awo. Pliz akumbutseni zinja amalumbilazi kuti sizinali zachionetselo koma akuyenela kuchita

  16. Chakwera don’t listen to these barking dogs. They obtained an injunction way back which is still in force now . They had taken themselves like madolo pa tauni tsopano lero akuti chiyani???

  17. that’s stupid, why do you want to close school, is their any investigation out there that proves kuti school is increasing the covid spread? don’t dare to close school, just increase the covid preventatives measures in there.

    1. mwangokhala antopola man, so mma xul covid simafika?

      just note that it is one of the measures to cub the spread basi

  20. Children are safer at school now than then in 2020 and are aware of proper measures.

    Your children (HRDC) can manage to attend online classes and complete education even within “lockdown” leaving a poor malawian’s child illiterate behind the “Lockdown”

    You need to consider poor malawians who depend on selling minor goods like mango, mandasi, khwanya etc who need to move to find something to feed their families.

    Please, make decisions for poor Malawians at large and not minority rights only.

  21. What nonsense is this HRDC thing talking about,go to hell you idiots nobody will ever listen to you are irrelevant this time your time is over.Pano Ali mfasho ndi CDEDI kagwereni uko.Musatiyankhulitse pambali munatitopetsa musatitopetsenso pano.Last time you got an injunction against lockdown so today you feel good to lockdown just because your fellow is gone with covid nonsense!

  22. I can not waste time listening to idiots like HRDC. Mtambo used people of Malawi to become a minister. No more

  24. Now HRDC is working on the ruling government interests, not on the people’s choice. So we are going to petition for you HRDC.. after you lose public trust, government is also going to throw you…since you will be useless.. Just note that..

  25. VERY STRANGE , HRDC, LAST YOU SAID NO, LERO BWANJI? BACKWARD THINKING.KOMANSO I FEEL LEARNERS ARE SAFER AT SCHOOL THAN BEING HOME, WHY LOOK AT CHILDREN FROM KAWALE, MCHESI MTANDANDIRE, CHINSAPO AND OTHER AREAS, THEY SPEND LONG TIME IN VIDEO SHOWS WHERE THEY ARE FULL. FROM MORNING UNTIL EVENING THEY ARE THERE.May be those who stay in area 43, 47, etc can be protected not my LOCAL CHILD , THINK TWICE. AT SCHOOL TEACHERS HELP TO WATCH OVER LEARNERS.

    1. Be mostly concerned about the primary students. They come from different homes and they meet each other then leave each other. Don’t you think that’s another way of getting rona. They will meet there parents who were out of there homes and they were hanging our with so many people and you go home and meet your kids. Hug them what what. Don’t you think that’s another way of getting rona. Don’t just comment without thinking

  26. Stupid Tranpece. I wished Mtambo, Tranpece, Kenyata Nyirenda, Chilima, Chakwela and Joyce Banda should test positive with Covid 19 before implementing the lockdown because you are playing with Malawians and their lives.

    1. You are calling for a lock down,have these lock downs been effective in any country that implemented them????
      When you lock us down can you guarantee us that for those of us who are employed that our employment will be safe guarded and that we will be getting our full monthly salaires from our employers ????
      Will you HRDC make sure that the people who earn a living on a day to day basis by doing piece work, sell vegetables etc…. have a source of income throughout the lock down that you are calling for???
      You are talking about closing schools is there something in place to make sure that the students can learn online, or through tv programs etc….?? if so are they effective????
      What about the the mental effects if having healthy people locked in a house unable to move around is it healthy – for you to call for lock down its ok because you will be able to move around freely and your income and lively hood will not be affected as you are eating our taxes
      and funds from donors !!!!

      1. Yes, in Botswana it has worked very well and even in South Africa, if it were not working, those countries wudnt have been stupid to apply them. Your govt is full of fools and u cant even pick that lockdowns do work because you havent done before. You fool!

        1. That is why South Africa is the worst affected Country in Africa please look at the facts and. Not what you hear on TV

  27. Just because two ministers have died basi lockdown and closing schools. Why don’t you talk about the vaccine that is available. Lockdown has failed in UK. What do you want us to do with our children? Before that please provide us with all the data about the vulnerable groups. We know that 245 people have died? What is the percent of this out of 9000. 2.7%. What is the percent of this out 18,000,000 people? 0.0013%.

    1. Assange, nice comment, and I underline just because two ministers have died basi lockdown? zachamba, hrdc off our way pls.

  28. Palibe za lockdown. On what grounds? ?Do the math of why doing lockdown with 0.0015%? Palibe za lockdown ngati kuli kufa tifa basi. Mukamupepese kaye APM uko. Vuto mfana oganiza shap uja amayenda ndi legeni yophela apumbwa nde sindikuziwa kuti apumbwa ake ndi awa ayamba kupitawa? Mutifunsileko

    1. Lasa aise, these guys are very stupid, lero ndiye lockdown is now necessary.If it had been implemented that time, trust me, we wouldnt have been talking about the loss of so many of our citizens.

  32. Mukuti sukulu atseke immediately, amene akumwalirawo paja amaphunzira sukulu iti ndi iti?

    Ndimaona ngati munena kuti ma bank onse, ma shopping mall onse, ma office onse atsekedwe immediately. Why are you targeting schools only. Aphunzitsi ndi ana a sukulu anakulakwirani chani? Actually school is an essential service because the children of today are the leaders of tomorrow. So why are you trying to kill the future. Also last time munatseka ma school ana anu amaphunzira on line and school calendar yawo siinasokonekere pano ali pa second term koma mwana wa commoner ngati ine ali first term and mukatseka ndiye kuti zake zada koma anuwo adziphunzirabe. Kudzikonda kwa mtundu wanji kumeneku?

  33. Awa ayamba misala osawatengera have they assessed the consequences of their position to the nation at large?? Should death of two ministers force us to make emotional decisions on expense of 18 million people zoona?

  34. Does HRDC still exists? These idiots always are not for Malawians but for their positions. See where Mtambo is after all he lied he was doing it for Malawians. Again, remember Sembereka during Joyce Banda’s rule, he even went to compete for a Member of Parliament position and failed. Please Malawians don’t listen to these Mother Fuckers.

  38. Hypocrites and Idiots Trapence and Luke. You are saying that because your pockets are fat. Mukugeya sausage ya ori. Mxiiiii

  39. Lock down do you guys really know the impact people will die more because our economy is from hand to mouth .The 1st partial lockdown my dosage was disturbed as the drug I was taking could not be imported if it was something with direct impact on my life would have died.Lets not just copy

  42. It reminds me of the Burundian who said ‘koma aMalawi ndi awusiru eti! … kamaliro kamozi mpaka kusekera shopu! Ife kwathu timaliro tambiri-mbiri koma sitimaseka shopu!’

  44. How time flies, paja amati kulibe Corona lero zili nyumba mwawo, palibe za Lockdown nanenso ndikatenga chiletso

  45. Time has come for HRDC to realize that they are not anzeru okha. Munaoneka anzeru kuletsa Lockdown last year mukufuna DPP ichoke pano nde muziti lockdown.Lockdown sichitika mpaka zomwe munaizu dpp boma iyi ipange. Corona mukuona ngati chinfine eti. Kuzimva u consultant kapena u professor. Tatopa nanu. u dont represent us anymore. mene munkayambisa mabungwe anauwo tinaliko. tinapangana. adyereni madonors koma ife ndi inu tathana. pezani zochita zibna

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