CHAKWERA ‘RETREATS’

…Malawi president cancels public engagements amid protests

LILONGWE - Malawi has announced that President Lazarus Chakwera has cancelled all public engagements “in order to attend to emerging national and regional matters.”

The government statement doesn’t explain what those matters are, but these cancellation comes amid protests in the country over the high costs of living and alleged government corruption.

President Chakwera was elected last year on a promise to reform.

In recent days, he has branded as “Afrophobia” the travel bans on southern African countries by the US and other nations.

Among the cancelled events Chakwera was to preside over are the commemoration of Malawi police day yesterday, and World Aids Day today.

Last Friday, Police fired teargas to disperse thousands of protesters demonstrating against the cost of living, corruption and nepotism in government.

Around 10, 000 people led by former lawmaker Bon Kalindo were teargassed midway through a march to the council offices in the capital Lilongwe to present a petition.

Kalindo slammed the police for quashing a lawful protest. “In a democracy set-up, this is shameful,” he said. “We got permission to demonstrate and this is uncalled for.”

Protesters carried placards calling on President Chakwera’s government to honour its campaign promises, especially its pledge to create a million jobs.

There is growing disillusionment with President Chakwera’s government, more than a year after he won a historic court-sanctioned election rerun. Friday’s protests were the first major signs of dissent since Chakwera came to power, inheriting an almost bankrupt economy in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic.