Human Rights Defenders Coalition have said they will hold nationwide demonstrations to protest against corruption and various governance issues in the President Peter Mutharika admnistration.
The human rights defenders announced the plans on Wednesday during a press conference in Lilongwe.
According to the activists, they are angry that Mutharika has only implemented 10 percent of the demands presented to government after the April 27 demonstrations.
The activists want Mutharika to resolve the rest of the issues such as reversing appointment of Rodney Jose as Police Inspector General and allowing investigation of the K4 billion fund.
The CSOs have since presented fresh demands which include the resignation of Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) boss Reyneck Matemba, dismissal of ESCOM board and immediate suspension of contract of supply of gensets to ESCOM.
They also want the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to return the K145 million to Malawians and Parliament to convene and impeach Mutharika.
In a statement, the rights defenders said they want to force the Mutharika administration to make concessions that will make Malawi a better country for all.
“Even the ruling (DPP) in its 2014 manifesto rightly observed: “We in the DPP believe that if a Government does not have integrity, it has no right to govern” (DPP Manifesto, 2014, p. 6). We believe that this social contract has been breached wantonly and we call upon Malawians from all walks of life to join us in coordinated peaceful protests to show our displeasure over the failure of President Mutharika to address the issues raised in the petition and the demand. The demonstrations will be held on 7 September 2018 in all the districts in Malawi,” says the statement.
One of the activists Gift Trapence said they are writing all political parties, including DPP to participate in the protests.
“We are also writing the president if he thinks Peter Mutharika is the icon of fighting corruption in the country he will come.We are assuring Malawians that no one is going to cancel these demos. These demostrations are for Malawians whether in the village or in cities. Even if it is four people who will come to demonstrate, for us it it willl be a message that we will respect,” he said.
Other activists at the press briefing included Beatrice Mateyu, Macdonald Sembereka and Timothy Mtambo.
