Pressure mounts on Malawi president to resign

Posted on Wednesday 28 December 2011 - 11:23

1. Opposition parties in Malawi has called a has called upon President Bingu wa Mutharika to resign or face immediately saying he has failed to provide a rescue plan for Malawi. The call was made by Alliance for Democracy (Aford) National Chairperson Enock Chihaning The call comes after Malawi is facing economic Challenges such as shortage of fuel, foreign exchange and increase in food prices.

   

   This comes after Malawi is facing economic Challenges such as shortage of fuel, foreign exchange and increase in food prices.
   
   According to Malawi online newspaper Nyasa Times Chihana made the scathing call during a public rally he addressed at the Katoto Freedom Park in Mzuzu on Friday.
   
   “Where is this country going with this person ? We know where we are coming from but Mutharika is leading this country into highway to hell,” Chihana said.
   
   Other opposition parties and Malawians are supporting Chihana’s idea saying it’s the only move to rescue Malawi from bad governance economic challenges.
   
   But presidential spokesperson Heatherwick Ntaba said Mutharika is the best President in Africa and cannot stand-down. “Why should he resign? The problems Malawi is facing are globally,” Ntaba claimed.
   
   Chihana said Mutharika must publicly take responsibility of the problems Malawi is facing and provide a timetable of how he intends to solve these problems.
   
   “If he fails to do this he must call for a Government of National Unity or resign. It’s simple. He should not take Malawi as his personal farm or estate. Malawi belongs to all of us. We only employed him,” Chihana said.
   
   He said Mutharika has created enmity with Malawi’s neighbours because he is a person who could not be advised.
   
   “Look at Zambia, Mozambique and even Tanzania. We cannot afford to live in isolation because we are a landlocked country,” he said.
   Chihana, son to fallen pro-democrcay activist Chakufwa Chihana, said Malawi will economically slide into another Zimbabwe if Mutharika does not step down.
   
   “The problems we have here mirror those of Zimbabwe. I am reliably informed that government has printed a MK1000 note and that the IMF has demanded that our currency be devalued by 40 percent. These are sad developments,” Chihana said.

VENDORS CLASH WITH POLICE IN THE MALAWI CAPITAL LILONGWE

Malawi defense force came to the rescue of   police officers who were overcome by angry vendors who clashed  with the police in a clean   up campaign  in the Capital Lilongwe.

  It all started in the morning of Thursday 5th of January  when Lilongwe City Assembly ordered its officials to clean up the streets and moving vendors from operating in the street demanding them to relocate to designated flea  markets.

The move angered vendors who ended up looting shops mostly those belonging to the  Chinese.

The development forced heavily armed police to throw teargas to disperse the crowd that was in hundreds, injuring several people but the fear of death did not move the vendors.

According to Malawi online News Paper Nyasa Times  Vendors are said to have also injured a Police woman who was hit by a stone.

Central Region Police spokesperson Kingsley Dandaula said “Police are patrolling the streets to protect citizens”.

The defiance shown by vendors has seen the deployment of the Malawi Defence Force soldiers in the streets of the capital.

“Lilongwe old town resembles a war zone. Running battles between police and vendors. Shops being looted. Cars being smashed. Cry my beloved country,” one of the country’s top –notch lawyer Ralph Kasambara posted on Facebook advising people to avoid the area.

Public Relations Officer for Lilongwe City Assembly, Tamara Chafunya,  said the  relocation of vendors from streets to flea markets was long overdue and that the authorities were “following the city by-laws” to move the traders out of the streets.

A random interview with some of the vendors showed that they are not willing to move from the streets, arguing that President Bingu wa Mutharika gave them an OK to trade anywhere.

Soon after the 20th July 2011 anti-government demonstrations, President Mutharika said when he hosted a party for the traders that they were free to operate along the streets.

Malawi’s City Assemblies have for the past years been snatching commodities from vendors who sell goods by lingering around town.

Arressts

Meanwhile, police said they arrested 18 people following the clashes and would be charged with illegal selling, while two others would be charged for conduct likely to cause breach of peace “soon after investigations are over.