Chanco riots: 10 arrested as protests are set to continue

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Over ten students from the Chancellor College in Zomba are in police custody after being arrested during protests against the decision by the University of Malawi (Unima) to raise fees for generic and mature students.

Police stormed the college and arrested 10 students.
Police stormed the college and arrested 10 students.

According to police among the arrested are Sithembile Shawa, Ellen Banda, Martha Sani, Yamikani Bema, Hazel Chiomba, Chimwemwe Msosa, Glory Mwakaileke, Caroline Njete, Hope Phiri and Tinenenji Kabudula.

The police netted the students for staging an illegal demonstration which turned violent.

In the protests, Malawi24 understands a police officer had his gun confiscated and broken by students who overpowered him. The students had blocked the road that leads to the college and chanted anti-government songs as they moved towards the University offices before police officers came their way.

The law enforcers had to fire teargas to disperse the students.

The protests are expected to go today.

Chanco students destroyed a gun one of the police officers carried.
Chanco students destroyed a gun one of the police officers carried.

Reports indicate that student from other constituent colleges like the Polytechnic are not joining the protests now because they are in the thick of examinations.

Earlier on the council announced that fees was raised from K275, 000 to K400, 000 per year for normal entry students and from K275, 000 to K1, 200, 000 for mature students.

But the students initial attempt for pleading with the council not to effect these changes hit the wall as the council has remaining unmoved saying the students do not have convincing reasons for their call.

Last night, students had an open air disco at the College’s sports Complex after the running battles with the Police. Some students from the campus hostels were spotted heading to Chikanda village where non-residential students live, to spend a night after it was rumoured that the police were going to spray all hostels with teargas at midnight.

The College Management has since warned that they will take unspecified action against the protesting students.

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58 Comments

  1. We are in a worldly society, where mayhem, confusion and Chaos have become orders of the day! Chase but you won’t catch it, try but you won’t make it, sacrifice yourself but you will harvest nothing out of it, plant enjoyment and happiness but you will only reap disgrace, reproach and disappointment! It has become a ubiquitous issue. It is a biblical prediction. Only My Jesus Christ can never disappoint me!!!!!!!

  2. Why were they denied a vigil? They have done it before without violence. You provoked them by dispersing and denying there right. You know how they behave if you deny what they want. Those that refused to grant them a permission for their vigil are the ones that are supposed to be arrested.

  3. Why were they denied a vigil? They have done it before without violence. You provoked them by dispersing and denying there right. You know how they behave if you deny what they want. Those that refused to grant them a permission for their vigil are the ones that are supposed to be arrested.

  4. It was 20 july 2014 when such a thing happened, the reason was that people wanted the president to be removed… so now it is happening again on 19 july 2016 …..oooh!…i can now agree that the history repeats itself

  5. What i have observed is we Malawians we have got a very big problem,m’malo mopanga ma demonstration awo mwamtendere,akulimbana ndi wapolice kulanda mfuti so m’kumati chani,the definition of police is to safeguard life and property.apo boma lionepo bwino lipereke mphamvu m’manja mwa apolocewo kuti mwina a Malawife tingaphunzirepo.

  6. Kutumikila boma lambava kunzunza ana athu. Bwanji osagwira iwo akuba ndalama, kudula manja ma alibino, kupha anthu osalakwa monga Njaunju?

  7. Ma demo pa Malawi pano sangapindule chilichonse ngakhale mutamapanga each and every minute boma ili losamva ndipo silizamva ..

  8. Plz plz ife musamatiuze zimenezi, kodi ku malawi anthu amatha kupanga ma Demo? Tandiuzeni mwina ndayiwala ndima Demo anji omwe anayamba apangidwapo ku malawi ndikupindula? Asiyileni anzathu amayiko ena omwe amati akapanga ma Demo zolinga zawo mkukwanilitsidwa osati zanuzo anthu amantha inu

  9. They didn’t overcome him . You must remember that power comes from the barrel of a gun. If he wanted to pull the trigger he could’ve done that so easily . Big up to him although losing his gun is a shameful disgrace as a police officer . Any way, student’s lives was saved and that what matters most cause they’re our future leaders.

  10. after all ths,who is going to suffer most? who told malawian students that freedom of expression means “riots & demonstrations” SHAME!

    1. i would go on “PEACEFUL” demos 2 avoid tampering wth running of th institution.our problem is that we expect best thngs @ a cheaper price.mind u we r talking about tetialy edction.

    2. i would go on “PEACEFUL” demos 2 avoid tampering wth running of th institution.our problem is that we expect best thngs @ a cheaper price.mind u we r talking about tetialy edction.@ David

    3. It might nt b enough bt considering nd mmene timapezera ku malawi kuno boma linayenera kutengapo gawo kupereka ma subsidies so dat kwa an2 opeza movutawo apezekonso maphunziro apamwamba coz mmene zililimu nd an2 ochokera m’mabanja ochita bwino okha amene adzipeza maphunziro apamwamba bwana

    4. somehow,i agree with u guys kma ndmalingalira kwambiri za standard ya maphunziro a UNIMA,with little amount of money anthu sangapeze maphunziro apamwamba.kmaso akatseka sukulu ma student amakhara ataya nthawi,ndalama,etc making it even worse.i think gvment & stakhoders shud sit down and solve these issues amicably but riots “will not” solve these problems.”CUTTING HEAD FOR HEAD ONLY MULTPLIES HEADS”~martin Ruth King.# Mpha & Maulidi.

    5. Eye2 Bwana #alinafe zin2 zake nd zovuta quality education imayenera kukhal ya aliyense kma nd zovuta with our financial crisis.komabe potengera nd maiko mwatchulawo ma percentage a an2 opeza mwai wa maphunziro apamwamba ndambr compared nd kwa2 kuno bt i understand ds z a developing nation

    6. resources would be available @ th right time,research would be intensified,etc.but al ths can happen if th money is properly managed.

    7. Nafe…even in our dream world inaf money wont do education sector any gd change,b4 u knw it..thngs wil get worse.thnk of that poor but very inteligent std 8 gal angafuneso kuphunzla nd nkhaza ymeney??

    8. here things r already worse,bt in a world where price of things has gone up,fees is likely to go up so as to maintain the standard.th gvment could hav done better but now things are already out of hand.for the poor girl? well,only God knows because He is th only one wh cn cntro ths stuation .@naom.

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