MALAWI: An anti-government strike enters its second day, deepening the misery of traders in the hard-hit economy

Record ID: 338571

  • Title: MALAWI: An anti-government strike enters its second day, deepening the misery of traders in the hard-hit economy
  • Date: 23rd September 2011
  • Summary: MORE OF BLANTYRE CITY STREETS BLANTYRE TOWNSHIP FAMILY DOING CHORES (SOUNDBITE) (Chichewa) DISABLED CITIZEN, JAMES MAKULUNI, SAYING: "What I am seeing here is selfishness on the government side. This is an issue that could be resolved easily. We do not want to starve because of one man. This should end."
  • Embargoed: 8th October 2011 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Malawi, Malawi
  • Country: Malawi
  • Topics: Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA5QQ9SNL0PVAEALKZW2O309S65
  • Story Text: A three-day nationwide strike in Malawi entered second day on Thursday (September 22) as people stayed away from work.
    On Wednesday (September 21) businesses in Malawi's commercial centre Blantyre closed before possible anti-government rallies and rights groups urged people to stay away from work until the weekend to reduce the risk of bloodshed.
    President Bingu wa Mutharika's forces killed 20 people when crushing protests in July against his rule in the impoverished southern African state. A high court judge lifted an injunction on street rallies on Tuesday (September 20).
    The streets of Blantyre and the capital Lilongwe were calm on Wednesday but many citizens were worried about the possibility of another crackdown by Mutharika's forces.
    "I am concerned with all this. The president must do something. Just imagine yesterday I was here in town and there was no business at all. I went back home empty handed. My children are starving and I can't wait to see this thing come to an end." said a newspaper vendor, Jaison Chinsapo.
    Activists want the president to respond to a petition calling on him to account for his wealth, and address the chronic fuel and dollar shortages that have added to the misery of the poor. They are calling on him to restore diplomatic ties with former colonial master and major aid donor Britain.
    "I have all the hope that this is message enough to government and that the parties involved will come to terms and resolve this mess. We cannot afford to go to war and fight each other." said Blantyre resident, Charles Jaison Goroso.
    Concern over the reaction of the police to any demonstrations led rights groups to call on workers to stay home for the remainder of the working week.
    "What I am seeing here is selfishness on the government side. This is an issue that could be resolved easily. We do not want to starve because of one man. This should end." added another resident, James Makuluni.
    In August, local U.N. officials negotiated a deal to head off further rallies, but rights groups pulled out of the process last week when the properties of two leading activists were hit in petrol bomb attacks.
    Malawi, which relies on foreign aid for about 40 percent of its state budget, has lost hundreds of millions of dollars of overseas assistance due to the crackdown on the protests and Mutharika's increasingly strained international ties.
    Adding pressure on Mutharika, the International Monetary Fund said it saw growth for the country at 4.6 percent this year and 4.2 percent in 2012, well below the government's projections of 6.9 percent and 6.6 percent.
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