26 July, 2011The International Metalworkers Federation condemns the violence that the Malawi government unleashed during civil society demonstrations, which has left 19 people dead and scores more injured.
MALAWI: Nationwide demonstrations planned by civil society for July 20 turned into two days of riots after the Malawi government tried to prevent the demonstrations from taking place. According to a report from senior leader of the Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU), radio announcements were made on the morning of July 20 that injunction had been obtained by government to prevent the demonstrations but this injunction was vacated by the court by lunchtime the same day. People that had gathered for the demonstrations were being held back by police that used tear gas and live ammunition to disperse protestors in Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu. Anger mounted from the brutal put down of the demonstrations erupting in two days of riots.
There has been growing dissatisfaction in Malawi with President Bingu wa Mutharika's regime. Civil society has been critical of laws that have been passed to limit the freedom of the press, restrict lawsuits against government and limit civil liberties. Popular discontent has been mounting over worsening economic conditions with crippling shortages of fuel and forex.
The MCTU leader explains that workers have been hard hit by the economic crisis. Shortage of forex means that companies cannot bring in raw materials and parts which has resulted in job losses. With fuel shortages and high prices for fuel and forex on the black market, cost of transport has become prohibitively expensive and the basic goods have become unaffordable.
The situation in Malawi worsened after Malawi expelled the British high commissioner Fergus Cochrane-Dyet in April 2011 after a British diplomatic cable was leaked which said President Mutharika was "becoming ever more autocratic and intolerant of criticism". In response Britain expelled the Malawi and suspended US$550 million in aid over the next 4 years.
Britain had already reduced its support to Malawi in protest of the government's purchase of a luxury jet exclusively for the president. Other donor countries also have withheld aid with rising concerns on repressive laws and mismanagement of funds. Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world with more than 70 per cent of the population living on less than a dollar a day and millions of people will suffer the consequences of worsening donor relations. Malawi is heavily dependent on foreign aid, with donor funding accounting for 40 percent of government's budget, thus alienation of donors have added to the countries economic woes and intensified the forex crisis.
Organised labour came together with about 80 other civil society organisations, to arrange the July 20 protest marches in Malawi's cities, intended to be peaceful and within constitutional bounds. Despite the brutal police crackdown, protestors took their demands to the district commissioners and called on the President to address these demands by August 16 2011 or they would return to the streets.
Now many of the local civil society leaders, including labour leaders, are in hiding fearing for their lives after having received threats. Protests which were intended to remind the President that he was elected by the people and was accountable to the people have shown Mutharika to be unwilling to heed their calls. The day after the protests, Mutharika recognised the need for dialogue with civil society but now seems unwilling to engage with civil society and has since resorted to blaming civil society for the riots and deaths, increasing his dictatorial stance by threatening to put down any further protests against his rule.