Anti-corruption protesters have said they will pay Lilongwe District Council a noble visit on Friday for rejecting their notice to hold pro-Martha Chizuma demonstrations.
Protesters led by Joshua Chisa Mbele and Sylvester Ayuba planned to hold riots in support of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) boss, Martha Chizuma. Martha has been dragged to court by a corruption suspect for defamation. The notice made by the anti-corruption protesters was rejected by the council yesterday on 28th February.
Today, Ayuba has written to the council that the demonstrations which were supposed to be conducted on Wednesday will now be replaced with the Friday protests aimed at sanitising the council.
“We now hold your office as one of the offices that are standing in the way of the people in the fight against corruption, hence an urgent need to pay you a noble visit,” said Ayuba in the letter to district commisioner Lawford Palani.
Palani initially approved the holding of the demonstrations on 2nd March but yesterday he made a U-turn saying consultations with the stakeholders had revealed that the issue grouping intended to demonstrate on is still at the High Court.
Ayuba in his letter today described the reason given by Palani as disgusting.
He noted that between 2019 and 2020 there were post-election protests approved by the council while the court in Lilongwe was hearing a challenge on the same issue.
“We are left with the impression that your office is not acting in good faith today and is agitated by the fact that the protest this time around is against a person that you believe should be treated as an untouchable,” reads part of the statement.
The Friday vigils, according to Ayuba, will start at 8:30am from Simama Hotel via Maula Parish and Area 3 to Lilongwe Council offices.
