Court gives Kalindo and Concerned Citizens of Malawi go-ahead to demonstrate in Lilongwe
The High Court in Lilongwe has set aside a prohibition the Lilongwe City Council had imposed on former UTM Party National Youth Director Bon Kalindo and Levy Luwemba to hold peaceful demonstrations in the city on Friday.
Effectively, this given Kalindo and others freedom to conduct their protest in Malawi’s capital.
The former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator has organized a series of demonstrations in the country’s cities in what he says is an expression of displeasure with the rise in cost of living.
Kalindo also accuses the Tonse Alliance government, which he vehemently fought for prior to the court-sanctioned Fresh Presidential Elections, of backtracking on its promises; hence, his call for nationwide mass protests.
But right from the first leg of the protests in Blantyre, Kalindo and the Concerned Citizens of Malawi have met resistance from what he suspects to be Malawi Congress Party (MCP) diehards.
In Blantyre, apart from being overtaken by a group of unknown people carrying placards with messages of insults targeting State Vice President Dr. Saulos Klaus Chilima, the protesters were treated to teargas canisters from the police.
In Lilongwe, the City Fathers withheld its consent to the demonstrations on an account of inadequate security personnel.
“Lilongwe City Council regrets to inform you that it has withheld its consent from the planned demonstrations scheduled 26th November, 2021. This follows an advice by the Malawi Police Service that they will not have adequate capacity to provide security during the demonstration due to their engagement with SADC meetings taking place up to 27th November, 2021,” reads the letter dated November 23, 2021, which the council wrote Kalindo and others.
The council advised the protesters to postpone their planned demonstration to a later date after Saturday, 27th September, 2021.
But in his ruling on Wednesday, Judge Msiska set aside the prohibition effectively given the protesters a go-ahead with the planned demonstration tomorrow.
Both Kalindo and Lilongwe City Council Chief Executive Officer John Chome were not immediately available for comments on the matter.
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