MCP-UTM stayaway call a flop: Malawi ‘day of rage’ was business as usual

March 27, 2020 Wanga Gwede - Nyasa Times 32 Comments

Most Malawians on Friday went about their businesses as usual, ignoring a call for a stay away from work by Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and its alliance partner, UTM  Party,  was a monumental failure, as civil servants reported for duty, as well as shops and banks  were open as usual.

People go about their business as usual in Lilongwe

MCP-UTM  alliance called for ‘day of rage’ stay away to protest against Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah and other commissioners  to step aside  as  the court declared them incompetent to manage an election.

Contrary to expectations of opposition that the stayaway would brought the country to its knees,  it   was business as usual in the capital Lilongwe,  commercial city Blantyre and other cities as many citizens snubbed the call to stay at home.

The stayway was largely ignored by Malawians as the people clocked in for work as usual.

Chief Secretary to the Government Lloyd Muhara pulled the rug from under the feet of political malcontents who had wanted the stayway to cause civil unrest as he  instructed heads of government departments, agencies and parastatals to record all officers who will shun duties on Friday 27th March, 2020.

A memo addressed to Principal Secretaries, heads of departments, constitutional bodies and statutory corporations urges them to ensure that the order is enforced.

“As you are all aware, Public Servants are expected to maintain neutrality in all matters that are political in nature when discharging their duties and anyone who “engages in any activity, political or otherwise, which interferes with the performance of his/her duties as a Public Servant,” commits a serious misconduct in terms of MPSR 1:201(24).

“Further, a Civil Servant who “absents himself/ herself from his/her post during normal hours of attendance without permission from a Responsible Officer or Controlling Officer or without valid excuse” is also guilty of misconduct in terms of MPSR 1:201 (1),” read the statement.

Muhara stressed that appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against those who fail to report for work on Friday.

“A list of all those will not have reported for duties without valid excuse should be compiled and submitted to the Department of Human Resource Management and Development (DHRM&D) by Thursday, 2nd April, 2020 for appropriate disciplinary action,”said the statement.

Meanwhile, MCP and UTM have also  instructed their lawyers to ask the Constitutional Court to determine whether it is lawful for Ansah to continue holding her position when the court and Parliament stated that she is incompetent.

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32 replies on “MCP-UTM stayaway call a flop: Malawi ‘day of rage’ was business as usual”

  3. Anthu awa Chakwera ndi Chirima sazalamulira dziko lino anta
    mundifunse kut why ndikunena choncho.c

  4. MCP and UTM have been humiliated. People have told you in strong terms they will not listen to silly advice.

  5. Osagwira tchito asadye don’t pay Chakwera this month salary winayonso akuti vice .Mwina Ana ao lero sanadye nso.Sikuja anapita kukaphwanya kuja ku capital Hill?

  6. It is very sad that Chilima was is supposedly VP can be telling civil servants to boycott work.

  7. Livingstonia synod is not a person…oputsa kumeneku ndi mmodzi wokuda ngati linya,amatenga ngati zakunyumba kwake.

  8. Here the important thing isn’t whether people went to work or not, it’s what the call to the protests symbolized that is more important. They symbolise an act defiant against the Mutharika regime. A call that echoed everywhere that enough is enough. The call is more powerful than any sit in.

    1. There was defiance if people went to work. It was defiance against the opposition who called for sit in. Wamva mnyamata was ng’ona

  9. Kkkkkkkk ndiye nzeru za makandazo zimenezo! A vice president kapanga instruct anthu awo womwe anthito kuti should stay away from work is it justified? When others say this is total childishness chipose apa? Ppo have always told him that if he wants to against the DPP led govt should resign from vice presidency. Lazarus ndi Saulos shaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaame on you!!!!!! Mwayamba kuwonetsera mawanga anu kuti ndinu anthu woyipa kwambiri and with this just know mwaluza almost 30% of your popularity bcoz ngakhale ana a zaka 10 sakumvetsa the motive behind your move for workers to stay away from their works?

  10. A bitter and at the same time GOOD lesson to MCP and UTM (especially Chakwera and Chilima) people know your evil plans. Only zitsiru will follow your foolish commands.

  11. MCP and UTM think we are fools. Mumatidyetsa inuyo? The world is reeling from the wild fire of corona-virus and people are losing jobs in rich countries – why tell us to boycott work? The world economy is going into recession and the idiots of MCP, UTM and HRDC are not seeing the stupidity of their work boycott? FOTSEKI.

    1. These Cartoons may have TVs for them to watch international news but instead they are busy watching music channels. Trump has a Book/Newpaperphobia syndrome, the ones we have here possess a phobia that can best be characterized by their followers. One would think the more educated you are, the more you align yourself to the World-order occurrences. But Lazaro and Saulosi are the opposite. What a shameful lot of would-be leaders who are refusing to borrow a page from issues taking place elsewhere?

  12. Shame on Chakwera. Shame on MCP. Shame on Chilima. Shame on UTM. Shame on Mtambo. Shame on HRDC.

  14. it has not really flopped, we will use another way, you know in Malawi the gap between the poor and the rich is just wide and most of us is HAND to MOUTH income so kujomba kuntchito eeee njosagwira, timamwanso tea ku job konko kkkk

    1. Manyazi bwanji. Malawians are not fools. THey have now realised that MCP, UTM, HRDC and the judiciary are misleading the country.

    2. Bvomerezani kuti imeneyo ya floppa. Be looking for other alternatives as of toda’s plan, imeneyo yadya njinga

    3. Mboba u r just a fool one can not imagine. You MCP/UTM have employees in this country? If anything let them auze akazi awo asaphikire ana mnyumba zawozo chifukwa choti anawo akana kugwira ntchito that will hold water.

    1. Livingstonia Synod is just a satanic cult not a church, and you know where they end up after retirement.

  16. Zamanyazi. The beginning of bad things for the Malawi pompous opposition. Chidanti Malunga was rejected by his own people in Nsanje, how could he expect all Malawians to listen to him?

  17. Taking Malawians for granted, ndalama m’mene yabvutiramu ndiye chitsiru china chikanene kuti usapite kukapanga ndalama zothandizira banja lako ,pomwe iwowo ali ndi chili chonse olo atakhala tsiku lonse osayenda pakhomo pake anthu adya . aMalawi ambiri amayendera from hand to mouth iwowo sadziwa ,foolish mcp/utm

    1. komanso this order was supposed to be announced by government not un ordinary opposition party person, lock down need to be announced by President and he orders law enforcement to help the lock down. where will the opposition partys get power to order armed forces to control the country infuct the dont have power

    2. Join the discussion…I think nawonso ayamba kutitenga for granted
      mene amalawi akuvutikira wina akakhale dala chonsecho ulibe yandiwo panyumba

      and after all Iwo Ali ma millions muma account akapanga withdraw at there own needed time

    1. Why should politicians interfere with their employment contract in the first place? The call by MCP/UTM is so stupid and inconsiderate. Politics must be kept away from some areas of society like workplace/employment, it would bring suffering to innocent people.

      1. Amaona ngati anthu amawatsatira ndikumaphwanya ma shop aja ndi apantchito, ndimbala zokha zokha zopanda ndi chovoteta chomwe . Adziwa bwino bwino pa 2 July kuti asewera game yolakwika

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