Mutharika cautioned on persons with albinism vigils: Protestors undeterred, ‘finish us off’
Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) has faulted government for not taking interests of persons with albinism (PWAs) at heart as they keep facing injustice including being blocked when they were holding a peaceful march to State House in Lilongwe on Wednesday planned to culminate in three-days of vigils.
PWAs under the banner of Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi (Apam) took to the streets in the capital Lilongwe in a bid to present a petition to President Peter Mutharika at Kamuzu Palace to protests attacks, killings and abductions of PWAs.
CCJP coordinator Boniface Chibwana said it was unacceptable for law enforcers to use heavy handedness against the vulnerable PWAs when they were peacefully expressing their right to demonstrate.
Chibwana said PWAs “deserve protections” from the brutal killing, maiming and abductions that they continue to face for merely having a different skin colour.
“Government is obliged to provide security and ensure the heinous crimes perpetrated against people with albinism come to and end,” he said.
Governance commentator and human rights defender Makhumbo Munthali told Nyasa Times that President Mutharika should tread carefully on how he handles PWAs vigils.
“With the harsh experiences which persons with albinism faced on their first day of the vigils which included being soaked in rains and blocked by a heavily armed police on their way to the vigils, Mutharika may be portrayed in the public and international eye as a leader who has no human heart,” Munthali said.
He said the decision by PWAs to hold vigils “in the contest of State’s inaction on the continued killings of persons with albinism is justifiable.”
Munthali said the best Mutharika as a democrat was to respect the manner in which PWAs wanted to express their frustrations.
Despite police block and intimidation, the protestors were undeterred as they chanted ‘Tasala pati? Mungotimaliza [Do we have a reason to live? Finish us off].
Human Rights Defenders Coalition chairperson Timothy Mtambo who helped to organise the protests said it was “legal and peaceful.”
Presidential adviser on local policies Hetherwick Ntaba, who is also chairperson of a committee tasked to fight against abuse of persons with albinism, met the demonstration organisers but some protestors were heard shouting at him “he is compromised.”
Others murmured as they discussed one audio clip which went viral on social media where Ntaba was implicated by one arrested suspect that he is connected to the syndicate.
The demonstrators have since given a 48-hour ultimatum to the President to return from Northern Region where he is on official duties and attend to them as they have temporarily camped at Mkwichi Secondary School, two kilometres away from State House.
“We are giving Mutharika 48 hours to come back. We want him to address the concerns,” said Mtambo on behalf of PWAs.
In Parliament, opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) chief whip Jacob Hara, standing on a point of order, asked why PWAs were blocked when the Constitution provides everyone with the right to demonstrate.
Minister of Homeland Security Nicholous Dausi pleaded with the House to give him time to find out what was happening.
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That invitation by the President was cosmetic kufuna kuwaputsitsa anthu a chialubino kuti asayende, and ngati a President anamva kuti anthuwa ayenda kupita ku State House osangowadikirira afike bwa umamuitananso munthu yemwe wakuudza kale kuti adzakuyendera? Anthu amene ayendawa ndi onse osati akulu akulu omwe akhala akukumana nao mbuyomu osadekha akumane nao?
Ma albino musatikwane as if mulipo one million mwanva, he invited to state house munakana nde lero mukufuna chani? Have answers from Mtambo and Chakwera amene akukupopanowo tione ngati ali ndi mphamvu…mwayamba kulowa ndale and mwayamba kubowa.Malawi has a more pple seeking attention from the same president nde musatikwane ngati vote yanu ingawinise munthu….SHUPITI
We are using Chaos Theory to deal with albninsm situation
In the Bible, we are told about how the people of Israel were ill-treated by Pharoah and his subjects. The people of Israel cried to God for help. The God of Heaven heard the cries of the people of Israel. God fought for the people of Israel against the Egyptians. In Exodus 14:28, we are told that “of all the host of Pharaoh that had followed them(Israelites) into the sea, not one of them remained.” Let us pray for those who are murdering and oppressing our brothers and sisters with albinism to repent before God pour out His wrath upon… Read more »
Bwana president please musabwelere chifukwa cha ana amwanowa. Gwirani ntchito yabwino uko ku mpoto. A mtambo afuna pobera ndalama zama donor aziti ndimadyetsa ma albuno ku vigil umbava wowonekeratu.
Citizen #1???????
Mmamudziwa inu? Mulu ma sitizen omwe sanakachonepo. Kupusa a mw kubetsa u citizen mwapatsa olendo.ķkkkkķ
ok tamva
How can you want the president to come meet you when you refused to meet him in the first place? Does that really make sense. What do you want to present to him that you could not have presented to him last week? I thought headlines said APAM will not meet the president. You can not disrespect the office of the president by suggesting that he should meet you outside at a virgil or for him to receive a petition. As much as we feel the plight of you and we are all against the killings and abductions, you have… Read more »
Kodi mwati akatsegulira popi??
K10,000,000 budgeted and yet you want gvt to give you acommodation, si kuba kwinanso kumeneku? Anzanu ndi ma MP amalilira kuti akumane for one month koma pano akumangokangana zoti akambilane alibe, kungofuna kudya misonkho yathu za ziiiiiiiiii