President Peter Mutharika has claimed that Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) organised peaceful demonstrations last week to destroy the country.
Speaking when opening the budget session of Parliament this morning, Mutharika said the CSOs wanted to create a state of chaos, panic and fear with the aim of making Malawi ungovernable.
“Mr. Speaker, Sir, in this country, many people do not want to distinguish politics from development.
“We are a nation that carries our politics too far to the point of destroying development.
“There are people whose only dream is aspiring to destroy this country.
“For example, the recent demonstrations were planned to trigger riots which was to lead to breaking and burning of property,” Mutharika said.
He then advised Malawians to enjoy freedom of expression without bringing disorder in the country.
The peaceful protests which were held last Friday were among others aimed at forcing government to cancel the K4 billion allocation which was approved by Parliament earlier this year.
Leader of opposition Lazarus Chakwera also joined the protests despite being one of the legislators who approved the funding.
Commenting on this, Mutharika said it is a lack of respect for the august house and principles of governance.
“We cannot be Parliamentarians who make laws in this House and go out to demonstrate against our own laws,” he said.
“This spirit of lawlessness cannot be accepted.”
