Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Central Region Vice-President Alfred Gangata has confirmed that the anti-violence demonstrations he was set to lead this Friday in Lilongwe will now take place immediately after students finish writing their Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations.
Alfred Gangata
The announcement follows intense two-day negotiations with civil society leaders who pleaded for the postponement to protect the integrity and peace of the national exams.
Gangata, in a press briefing today, made it clear: the delay is not a retreat, but a calculated act of responsibility.
“We’ve postponed, yes—but only for the sake of the students,” he said. “I am a youthful politician and I understand what’s at stake for these young people. Many of them are sitting for life-defining exams. I cannot disrupt their future, even though I have every right to protest.”
But when the last exam paper is written, the streets of Lilongwe will likely feel the heat.
Gangata’s demonstrations are aimed at exposing what he says is a growing culture of violence, threats, and suppression—particularly targeting citizens who dare to exercise their constitutional right to protest.
“These acts of intimidation must stop,” he said. “And when the exams are over, we will go to the streets—not with pettiness, but with purpose.”
The planned protests, initially set for this Friday, had sparked national debate over the potential interference with student concentration and security during the examinations. Civil society players praised Gangata’s decision as a patriotic gesture—but the DPP firebrand made it clear that the cause remains alive and urgent.
Analysts say the rescheduled demos could carry even more weight, as postponement has allowed for more organization, mobilisation, and public anticipation.
“Gangata is playing a smart game,” said one analyst. “He has not only protected students’ right to education but heightened public curiosity and momentum around his movement.”
As the dust settles on MSCE exams, another kind of reckoning will begin—on the streets of Lilongwe.
The message is simple: the storm has been delayed, not cancelled.
