Malawi CSO’s stick to Jan 13 demo: ‘Mayaya, Mkwezalamba  are govt agents’

Malawi civil society organizations (CSOs) have maintained that  they will go ahead to stage a nationwide peaceful demonstration over the prevailing political, economic, administrative and governance stalemate currently facing the country to be held on January 13 in all the major cities and selected districts.

The Executive Director of the Centre for the Development of the People (CEDEP) Gift Trapence, said Monday in the capital Lilongwe that preparations for the important day are underway.

“We are appealing to all Malawians to come out in large numbers to exercise their hard-won democratic right through peaceful demonstrations in order to call upon the Mutharika regime to wake up from slumber and address the prevailing economic, administrative and governance woes including the unending strikes,” he said.

Trapence said Malawians will also demand that First Lady Getrude Mutharika’s charity organisation, Beatify Malawi (BEAM) trust and Mulhakho Wa ALhomwe, to return the money meant for HIV and AIDS activities back to the National Aids Commission (NAC).

“We remain vigilant to fight to the very end till the money is returned back in the best interest of human rights for all and people living with HIV and AIDS,” he said.

He added that Malawians should be lest assured that no propaganda from the government or any of its machinery will move them or make them divert from the path of reason they have chosen to take in the best interest of Malawians because they are charged up for the noble service until justice, sanity prevails on the matter.

Meanwhile, the CSOs have hit at Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba and rights activists  Billy Mayaya accusing them of  masquerading as  representatives anti-NACgate CSOs  championed by CHRR, Cedep, MANERELA, MANET + and MHEN demanding return of the money meant for HIV and AIDS activities.

The CSOs said Mkwezalamba and Mayaya are working under  the influence of a “hidden big hand” to manipulate public’s opinion or trap the CSO’s.

“By the way, when did Mkwezalamba and Mayaya become NAC to start receiving  ‘refunds’ from BEAM’s orchestrated well-wishers? What is there to justify their presence at the function? Was it really necessary for them to be there? Certainly, there is more than what can meet the eye, and it would be naïve of us to completely rule out the possibility of the two being part of the BEAM/DPP’s regime orchestrated network of cadres who are hell-bent at thwarting the public crusade aimed at coming to the bottom of NACGATE. Their actions are suspicious,” reads a statement from the CSO’s.

CHRR, Cedep, MANERELA, MHEN and MANET Plus have informed the Malawians that in a few days the coalition  will  issue  a comprehensive response to all emerging issues on the matter and also hold a news conference to keep the public in the loop on the progress as regards to preparations of January 13th 2015 demonstrations are concerned.