Malawi Police, vendors clash: First Lady school torched in Lilongwe

Heavily armed officers from Malawi Police Service on Monday morning descended into the Lilongwe roads which were the beehive of street vending, torching their stalls in the process.

All vendors are being encouraged to move off the streets to official flea markets.

 Calm was restored after clashes between police and illegal street vendors on the streets of the Malawi capital Lilongwe.

Calm was restored after clashes between police and illegal street vendors on the streets of the Malawi capital Lilongwe.

Police had to fire tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse hundreds of vendors who went on an angry rampage after their stalls were dismantled.

Lilongwe Police Publicist Sub Inspector Kingsley Dandaula said the exercise is aimed at flashing out all illegal vendors.

At St John’s vendor’s hub, the security officials in conjunction with Lilongwe City Council personnel burnt down all the stalls to the displeasure of the traders who argued that they have lost a lot of property.

Vendors regrouped themselves with stones and tyres which they used to burn and barricaded the main road M1.

But in Area 2, Kamuzu Procession Road, the vendors moved out from the streets without much resistance.

Calm was restored only after the army was called in.

Meanwhile, irate vendors set the school belonging to First Lady Gertrude Mutharika ablaze in Lilongwe Area 36.

Police routinely move on Lilongwe’s informal traders, who complain that their designated flea market is too far away and often set up their stalls in the busy streets of the central business district.

Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an estimated 75% of the population living on less than $1 (60p) a day.

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Barton Chikaya
Barton Chikaya
9 years ago

Anthuni tiyeni timvere boma lathu. wolemba nkhaniyi akuti mavendors apite ku official flea markets, kusonyeza kuti kopita iwo kulipo kale. Tsono chochitira nkhondo ndi mapolisi ndichiyani? Apolisi, mangani anthu osamvera lamulo.

Komanso pikitchala iyi yaulula kathu kena kamene ambiri sanali kudziwa za Lilongwe.Bwanji City Council ipeze Investor womanga nyumba za maofesi ndi zongona zija zazitali kupta mulengalenga (10 or 20 storeys).Tikatero City yathuyi idzakhala ya kumatso kwa anthu.

chisoni
9 years ago

koma mavenda akanamvetsa coz anapereka notice a city kuti aliyense achoke m miseu nanga chimene amakakamilamo ndi chani? Chisakomele mbuzi kugunda galu.

kkkkkkkkkkkk
9 years ago

koma kumeneko

Kani zimatere
Kani zimatere
9 years ago

Ine chisoni, chabe ndi anthu ozuzika ndi zosayenera kuzuzika nazo, kundiwawa Moyo ndi anthu amene akusangala ndi zosayenera, kusangalala nazo, choncho dziko ndi la zonse tionetsetse zoyenera kupanga

Mask
9 years ago

Provide them a legalised place then…

harrinyah
harrinyah
9 years ago

Achita bwino amazolowera

cynk
cynk
9 years ago

umbava uchepa bwanji anthu opanda nzeru, tsono mwawathamangitsawo akadya kuti? ngati simunabeledwe muziona tsopano tonse tiyamba kukuberani olemelanu dikirani

Chemjambe
Chemjambe
9 years ago

penapake a Malawi lets learn to love our country, we are not the only poorest nation in the world. Palibe nkhani yolemba kuti Malawi is one of the poorest nation apa, atolankhani ena kumvetsa chisoni bwanji? kodi kusauka ikhale nyimbo basi everytime you write about Malawi basi pamapeto pake “poorest country” enafe sizimatiwaza olo pang’ono mwanva.? Who doesn’t know that we have a lot of poor countries in Africa?

tony kanyenda
tony kanyenda
9 years ago

and at picture is taken in heart of Lilongwe, oh no after 50 years of independence and our capital city looks like a trading centre in dowa, look at the poor road, dust and ugly one story buildings, does Lilongwe have a city council and mayor, roads authority, town planners, school has not helped you a bit, you are all a disgrace to the country

danford kaombe(SERENDIPITY)

mwalakwa kuwathangitsa anthu omwe amayala malonda,iwo samabera anthu,kwao nkugulitsa malondangati ndi ukhondo nkwabwino kuthana ndi masueji omwe amaphulika tsiku ndi tsiku nkati mwa tauni,amalawi anzanga tiyeni tosiye nkhaza izi ndi nkhaza!!!!

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