Malawi vendors given K700, 000 to thwart demos against Pres. Banda
Vendors in Limbe a business centre in Malawi’s commercial capital Blantyre have called off their demonstrations scheduled for Wednesday that aimed to push President Joyce Banda’s administration to improve their business environment, after a northern region businessman a Watson Katawa Nyasulu gave them K700, 000.
Nyasulu, who calls himself a concerned citizen, confirmed in an interview with Nyasa Times having given out the money to the vendors during a meeting held at Limbe Free Market on Monday.
Vendors who attended the meeting told Nyasa Times they have called off the demonstrations because Nyasulu gave them K700 000 to boost their businesses and promised them to present their grievances to the President on their behalf.
“He has convinced us that it is not good to hold the demonstrations this time around since the President has done enough to improve the economic situation within a year that she has been in power such as the availability of Foreign Exchange, fuel and restoration of donor relationship which was sour during the former regime. We have understood him,” said James Ishmael a member of the organizing committee for the demonstrations.
Besides K700 000 cash, Nyasulu who is a ardent upporter of the Joyce Banda’s administration is said to have been distributing K500 bank notes to hundreds of vendors who attended his meeting raising suspicious that he might be funded by government, an allegations that Nyasulu has vehemently denied.
“I have not been funded by government, I am a business man. I feel as business people we can better promote each other by sharing what we have rather than holding protests. So to say that I have been funded by government is a total lie and you can investigate as a journalist”, said Nyasulu.
He added that as a concerned citizen who wishes well the President “and my fellow vendors, I have presented myself to take the problems to Dr Banda for consideration, and I am doing this out of my good will for the country”.
According to earlier programme, the vendors planned to march from Kamuzu Upper Stadium to Sanjika Palace to present a petition to President Joyce Banda.
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