Malawi army braces for airport shutdown amid calls for Ansah resignation as electoral commission head

August 19, 2019 Green Muheya - Nyasa Times 34 Comments

The Malawi Defence Force (MDF) says its soldiers will be deployed from the barracks to airports and borders to provide security  in anticipation of violence and vandalism as the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) plan five-day vigils from August 26 to 30 2019.

Soldiers are welcomed with wild celebrations by protestors

HRDC has been leading nationwide demonstrations  to demand the resignation of Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah whom it accuses of overseeing a rigged vote in May whose results were marred by use of correction fluid to alter figures on results sheets.

Ansah, a judge of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal, has dismissed calls for her to resign, saying she would only step down if the Constitution Court hearing an elections petition case  found her leadership to have failed to discharge its duties.

The election returned President Peter Mutharika to power — a result that has sparked four previous demonstrations and is being challenged in court by the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and the UTM Party. Previous protests have turned violent and the government has said the police lack the capacity to manage them.

Speaking in an interview with a local radio on Monday, MDF spokesperson Paul Chiphwanya said  the soldiers are ready to assist the Malawi Police Service (MPS) during the protests if requested to so.

On the other hand National Police spokesperson James Kadadzera said they are also putting in place measures to make sure that there is security during the demonstrations.

HRDC chairperson Timothy Mtambo has warned that his group would hold “high level” demonstrations in strategic places such as border posts and airports if Ansah remains in office.

The airport demonstrations will be followed by a “two million march” organised in the four cities of Mzuzu, Zomba, Lilongwe and Blantyre on September 5 this year.

Livingstonia Synod of the Church of Central African Presbyterian (CCAP)  has since  given the demonstrations its blessings, with its general secretary the Reverend Levi Nyondo the church will not sit and watch people protest the electoral fraud, arguing doing so would mean promoting injustice.

MCP publicity secretary the Reverend Maurice Munthali and his UTM Party counterpart Joseph Chidanthi Malunga said in separate interviews that they support the HRDC plan to hold demonstrations at airports and border posts.

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34 replies on “Malawi army braces for airport shutdown amid calls for Ansah resignation as electoral commission head”

  2. A leaked confidential document says that HRDC has received over MK500 million for the 3 day airport and border demonstrations. this money will be used to buy materials and a selected few individuals will be paid MK50,000 each and these are people who have been recruted to cause damage and violence they are 100 in total and the rest of over 2000 will be paid 5,000 and this money will be paid through parties UTM and MCP and currently the list of receipients is with parties. The organisers will share MK20 million each and the party leaders will also get MK20million. Livingstonia synod is also a beneficiary and they will get MK5m

  3. Zopusa basi masoja come in numbers….we gonna fight with you there….ngat mumatha don’t take your riffles kkkkk

    1. Tiyeni tikumana komweko. Mwatitopetsa enafe. Kofi mukamati Malawians mukunena ndani? We too are Malawians but are not with you. Music some quarter of Malawians osati tonsefe ai.

  4. “The message is loud and clear, Malawians are looking for a government that would work for many and not a chosen few (from one tribe and or region)”. Further, even if some quarters may manage to avoid a shutdown, which I agree is a big risk and a tremendous burden, but then out of the fear already created by demonstrators among the very business people, do you see the economy making the intended strides? Take it or leave it, the demonstrators have a hand in the economic activities, and need to be drawn into the equation if our nation is to move quickly…………………… kodi zinthuzi tikokelana mpaka liti? Ndipo zonsezi zikutanthauza chani pa omwe akutsogolera? Some driver is sleeping on the driving seat? Chonde kuyendetsa dziko zimasiyana ndi kuyendetsa banja!! Ndithudi ndi zotheka kuletsa mwana kuchita zomwe banja likuona ndi zosayenela pa 1 minute, koma izi ndi zosatheka ndi anthu a mu dziko lathuthuuuuuuuuuu……………………………!!

  6. Malawians have already forgotten ( Peter told us) ( ndilibe POLOBOLEMU ) meaning he doesnt care of anybody –‘–he can’t listen to callista—he can’t listen to mbeki to step aside —-he can’t listen to chilima — he can’t listen to his relatives to step aside —he can’t listen to muluzi to step aside —will Malawians achieve fruits from this idi amin ??

    1. HOW CAN HE LISTEN WHEN HE CAN’T TALK – FOOLISH MAN, HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN THAT WHEN YOU GROW OLD YOU BEHAVE LIKE A CHILD?

      1. THE PROBLEM HERE IN MALAWI WE DONT KNOW THE MEANING OF HUMAN RIGHTS BECAUSE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN MALAWI PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT ITS HUMAN RIGHTS BUT THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE DAMAGED THERE SHOPS THERE PROPERTY THEY ARE ALSO HAVING HUMAN RIGHTS WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR MIND SET PLEASE WE CAN RESOLVE THESE PROBLEM UNLESS WE CAN CALM AND DISCUSS AS WHAT PAC IS DOING NOT JUST DOING THINGS LIKE SOME OTHER COUNTRIES REMEMBER PEACE SHOULD BE STARTING WITH US BUT IF THESE continues ONE DAY Malawi will no longer the warm heart of Africa and its when malawi will realize that timothy tambo was not fighting for peace and human rights and malawi is God fearing national but now its not but you will remember my speech that if these continue even in constitutional of malawi section 245/0034 say you can find someone guietynesious unless the law has say so as of now Jane assah can not be judged unless the court has says so and what is relationship between airports,boarders with the case of elections and Jane assah please dont just have negative mind towards someone without any observations those guys there children and there relatives with there families are happy and they are using poor malawian for demostrations walk up malawi our country is poorest country

  7. HRDC akakhale week yawoyo akatopa achokako. It is true these ppo have a different agenda altogether other than elections disputed case becoz even SKC in all his responses is indicating there was no alterations whatsoever

  8. I thought the govt would have issued an outright ban on the demos and not just assuring people (travellers) of their safety. An outright ban would have convinced travelers that the demos are cancelled and business will be as usual while focusing on protecting the airport and border infrastructures will not guarantee would be travelers safe passage between the border points and their destination and nobody will travel hence as a country still lose the billions of Kwachas being talked about.
    Borrow a leaf from Zimbabwe where the demos were outlawed by the courts and state security agents quickly moved in to disperse those who wanted to defy the order. The more you let people demonstrate the more people will do it for fun, the more they will do it violently, and the more they will continuously add issues on their wish-list.

    1. You sound like an idiot! Which Gvt are you talking about? We are the Gvt dude, this time we are doing it.

    2. Yes, ban these stupid and destructive demos.
      The demos are especially loved by none other than the Malova (unemployed) MCP/UTM thugs who are now considering going to every demo, like it’s a career, because they are getting payed like aganyu (per diem) by those two loser parties.

  9. Pliz ma soja mukapheko anthu okwana 200 mudachitako nkhondo ndi kale or mukayambire mtAmboyo kumupha munthu wosalemekeza malamulo.

    1. Alomwe, mukuona ngati ananyera dziko la Malawi ndi makolo anu. Muyesele kupha aliese dziko linunkha ili

      1. tsopano mukamanyoza sibwino we are all malawians created by God your if someone kukunyozani inuyo mungamve bwanji tsungani mwambo ndi khalidwe mawu amenewo ndiochokera ku mphamvu ya satana

    2. Ma Solder ake akwanu kapena aku Malawi amene amadziwa zaufulu wa a nthuwa? Who told you kuti the duty of Solders is to kill? Foolish idiot

  11. Timothy Ntumbo dianzake,Sangakondwele Janet atatula.kutulapansi kungapangitse zolingazao osatheka.Asatanic padziko lonse zao ndi zobisa, pakamwa zina ndipo kuseli zina HRLGBTIQ+ Akulinga kukweza mbendela ya RAINBOW mMalawi

  13. Mutharika mpakana akuchita kumvetsa chisoni, kkkkkkkkkkk!! Umwalira ndi Bp ngati mbale wako uja uziona.😂😂😂😂😂😂🤗🤗🤗🤗 ndi m’mene zilili pa malawi huuuuuuuu!!!!!…

    2. Wokumbira mnzake dzenje adzagwamo yekha. So be careful it may you kutsogola my friend stop making such claims. Even your has right to live

      1. Akatula pasi udindo Jane asah or Peter mtAmboyo kapena kut mtumboyo akakudyerani kut pot iyeyo zake zikulowa walemerelapo pa Jane asah

  14. Before the electoral issue is finalized in the court of law, shutting down airports and border posts in the name of demonstration on elections is not only unfair but illegal. Government is within its right to stop and arrest anyone wanting to disrupt economic activity.

    3. You are 100% right. We are copying Hong Kong (they went to the airports and so will we) and of course the MW government is also copying Chinese government in its handling of this perhaps. But we are more Savage than the softees in Hong Kong as we are a youth league now resurrected. Our uniform was red. We have passed the uniform to our bedfellows UTM. Together with them, we are going to perfect domestic terrorism. We are going to terrorise Malawians to achieve our political goals. Our demand for the resignation of Jane Ansah is so unreasonable, that when it succeeds it shall mean that we can demand anything and succeed including the resignation of the president! Viva MCP, Viva UTM, Viva Chiswe. We are unstoppable! It is cadets vs termites and we termites are winning as a lethal team composed of Chewas and Tumbukas!

      1. palibe wamuyaya padziko lapansi palibe munthu amene amapedza madalitso ngati akumufunira dzake imfa chonde kumayankhula bwino ndipo imfayo sili manja mwanu ayi mungotenga nadzo matemberelo azanu amtambo akudyerera akulandira ma funds from other countries inu muzichedwa ndikumunyoza president ndipo ulamuliro uliwonse amaulora Mulungu ndi zolinga peter akadakhara kuti ndi munthu omayankhula zamwano osaledza mtima malawi muno pano inuyo sibwezi mukupeza nthawi yonyoza tikadathamangamo kale after elections so please lets unite we are all malawians

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