Unemployed nursing officers together with unemployed IPTE 13 to 17 teachers will this week start their joint vigils at Capital Hill in Lilongwe.
This is according to spokesperson of the group Lucius Gerald who confirmed the development to Malawi24, saying the unemployed teachers and nursing officers will hold the vigils at Kamuzu Mausoleum car park in the city.
Gerald said participating at the vigils will be over five thousand unemployed nursing officers and over ten thousand unemployed teachers from Initial Primary Teacher Education (IPTE) 13 to 17.
The spokesperson told this publication that the vigils which are aimed at forcing the Malawi government to recruit them all, will be held until their demands are met.
“We will be holding joint vigils by all Unemployed Nurses and Midwives together with unemployed Primary School Teachers on 9th November at Capital Hill in Lilongwe. The agenda of the vigils is, we want government to permanently employ us (Nurses ane Midwives and Primary School Teachers).
“We will hold the vigils from 9th November up until our demands are attended to. We have 5,000 unemployed Nurses and Midwives around Malawi and more than 10,000 primary school teachers (ipte 13 to 17),” confirmed Gerald.
Meanwhile, Lilongwe District Commissioner Lawford Palani has given the two groups a go ahead to hold the vigils, but says they have agreed that the organizers will make sure that noise pollution is minimised.
A letter from the DC further indicates that the consent has been given on agreement that Kamuzu Mausoleum shall be protected from vandalism or graffiti and that the organizers will make available mobile toilets at the Mausoleum and portable water for hygiene and sanitation.
It is reported that there will be at least Forty (40) Marshalls and that the convener shall make sure that those holding the vigil should not have any weapon and cause any disturbance to the general public during the entire period of the vigil.
The two groups previously had several meetings with respective Malawi Government authorities on their grievances but the meetings have been fruitless, hence the idea to hold these vigils.
