Malawi govt not backing boycott of South Africa products: Kapito insists on ‘Black Friday’

The Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) executive director John Kapito has called for shoppers to don black clothing this Friday and boycott South African goods and services in protest against deadly afrophobic attacks in the rainbow nation.

But Malawi’s government said it doesn’t support a call for a boycott of South African products.

Kapito said Thursday that his body and other concerned activists have set 24 April as a day when Malawians will show their concern to xenophobia attacks in South Africa.

“We are urging all citizens to boycott all South African owned outlets such as Game Stores, Shoprite, Spur, Steers and PEP Stores, among others, on this day,” the CAMA official said.

Adding the boycotts would be held in all three regions of South, Central and north of the country where all people would put on Black clothes to express their concern.

Minister of Information Kondwani Nankhumwa said that the government of Malawi “will support the process of dialog which President Peter Mutharika has initiated” but not boycott.

At least seven people have been killed in South Africa in the past two weeks, thousands have been displaced and the army has been deployed to end attacks on immigrants.

Malawian demonstrators on April 21 handed a petition to South African High Commissioner Cassandra Mbuyane-Mokone demanding that the xenophobic attacks be ended within 48 hours to avoid a boycott of South African businesses.

Foreign Affairs Minister George Chaponda has been instructed to travel to South Africa to meet his counterpart for talks, said Nankhumwa.