HRDC to press on anti-Jane Ansah protests despite Malawi police teargas

Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) says it will press on with the anti-Jane Ansah protests till Friday, despite calculated police intimidation and harassment.

HRDC chairperson Timothy Mtambo said this on Tuesday at the end of the first day of the demonstrations at Capital Hill, the seat of government in Lilongwe.

“We will not stop these demonstrations, we will not be intimidated to surrender, we will not be shaken up. We will continue with the peaceful demonstrations until Jane Ansah has quit her position,” said Mtambo.

The demonstrations generally went on smoothly under the protection of the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) soldiers after a clash with the police at the start of the protests which led to the law enforcers firing teargas.

The protesters provoked the situation when they started pelting stones at the police to force them out following their siding with the notorious Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) cadets last week in Blantyre which saw the hacking of rights activist Billy Mayaya and three other protesters.