2011 Malawian protests
Encyclopedia
The 2011 Malawi protests were protests aimed at winning political and economic reforms or concessions from the government of Malawi
. On 20 July, Malawian organisations protested against perceived poor economic management and poor governance by President Bingu wa Mutharika
and his Democratic Progressive Party
. After the first two days of protests, 18 deaths, 98 serious injuries and 275 arrests had been reported. Further demonstrations were organised on 17 August and 21 September The first protest was later cancelled due to the intervention of a UN representative in initiating a dialogue; however, the talks broke down with more protests planned for Red Wednesday through a national vigil
.
, five official DPP vehicles carrying DPP Youth Cadets (a youth wing of the DPP) were seen driving around the city waving machete
s.
The government obtained an injunction to stop the protests.
(HRCC) and the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation
(CHRR) were both a part of the Concerned Citizens group and played a central role in planning the protest. It also included the Malawi Law Society and the Council of Churches. Mutharika then scheduled a public lecture for the same day to which he invited all citizens, NGO's and civil societies upon registration. The Concerned Citizens largely said that they would not attend a 'lecture' by the president because they wanted dialogue and their concerns to be addressed. Pro-government supporters then scheduled a pro-government protest on the same day, July 20. On the morning of July 20, 2011, mass anti-government protests began in the major cities of Mzuzu
, Blantyre, and the capital Lilongwe
. Protests also occurred in Zomba, Kasungu, and Ntchesi. The Concerned Citizens were wearing red shirts and other articles of clothing and called themselves the "Red Army for Democracy and Peace." The protests began peacefully with participants singing the national anthem, taking photos, holding signs and giving speeches.Many were waving the old Malawi flag who's public display had been banned by the Mutharika government.
The government response to these protests included preemptive arrests of civil society leaders. Police assaulted MCP spokesperson Nancy Tembo
, Joyce Banda's sister Anjimile Oponyo
, The Nation journalist Kondwani Munthali and the head of the HRCC Undule Mwakasungula
. There was a clamp down by police on anyone wearing red clothes which was particularly violent in Mzuzu. Police forces began to disrupt broadcasts by radio stations, and ordered journalists not to report on the protests. Anti-government citizens clashed with security forces in the northern cities of Mzuzu and Karonga
and Blantyre.
After the national lecture by President Mutharika, which failed to address the grievances of the protesters, tensions grew further and looting of targeted business and properties began. Business properties of political allies of the president were targeted, along with the homes of two police officers in the north that had participated in the clampdown of protesters with excessive force. The violence continued to grow largely in the major cities.
. At least two people were killed amid widespread looting in the suburbs of Lilongwe as Mutharika vowed to "use any measure I can think of" to quell the unrest.
reported that many of these protest leaders had received death threats and gone into hiding for fear of arrest or worse.
, the former colonial power of Malawi with which the Mutharika administration had recently become embroiled in a diplomatic row, over the Cochrane-Dyet cable in the hopes of forging an agreement to provide Malawi with economic relief.
, the director of the Institute for Policy Interaction warned Mutharika that if he did not address protesters' demands by 16 August, demonstrations would resume on 17 August with the goal of ending his regime. The Public Affairs Committee, a group composed of both Christian and Muslim
activists, also warned that "should [the] government continue to harass people for no proper reasons, another demonstration will be inevitable. Bullets and tear gas have never triumphed over the will of the people."
A string of arson cases were also reported, including fires at the offices of Rafiq Hajat and the home of Reverend MacDonald Sembereka
. wa Mutharika was accused of being behind the arsons, particularity since he threatened protest leaders by saying he would "smoke you out." He later denied being behind the arsons. No one has been arrested or found guilty of partakig in the arson cases, but the government has condemned them.
On 21 September a national stay-at-home was organised with the aim of shutting down the economy via a general strike
on what the organisers called "Red Wednesday." Businesses and banks across the country were closed; at the same time there was also an heavy police presence and protestors clad in red. People were also urged by the organisers to hold vigils at home to commemorate the deaths of Malawians killed during the protests in July. The protest was held on Wednesday to mark the day of the 19 people during the July protests; it also marks the beginning of a planned for three day stay-at-home strike. Bingu wa Mutharika called for an end to the on the state-owned Malawi Broadcasting Corporation
warning that "You can’t bully me into submission. [The] government can’t be taken to ransom by a few disgruntled individuals hiding in the name of civil society. If you stop people from going to work, I will deal with you." He added that the strikes were illegal, while telling people to return to work the next day.
, as well as other civil society leaders of being responsible for the violent protests. "The blood of these people who have died is on you. Let their spirits haunt you at night. This time I'll go after you! Even if you hide in holes I'll smoke you out!" He also said that those organising the protests should face the "consequences." His rhetoric saying to protesters saying that he would "smoke you out" was in reference to former United States President George W. Bush
, who used the same words for Osama bin Laden
.
First Lady Callista Mutharika publicly castigated the NGO's that organised the protests for allegedly being paid by Western donors to "disturb the peace" and promote homosexuality
, stating that they would "go to hell." She further said that villagers should not have an interest in the protest over fuel and foreign exchange
since they do not drive cars and because they dont engage in cross border trade. She urged village chiefs and the rural population at-large not to protest. Her response was received with much criticism from civil society.
on 7 September. However, it still included controversial posts such as his wife Callista Mutharika as a cabinet member, his brother Peter Mutharika
as Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture Ken Lipenga
as Minister of Finance, while excluding former Vice President Joyce Banda, wa Mutharika has repeatedly referred to the cabinet as a "war cabinet" charged with defending the "integrity of nation."
Mutharika hastened the retirment of the head of the army, General Marko Chiziko and appointed a new army chief after the protests. Chiziko's replacement is General Henry Odilo.
from Zimbabwe
to patrol the streets and suppress protestors in preparation for the second protest which was to take place in the form of a national vigil. They were hired after consultations by wa Mutharika with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe
after it became clear that the Malawian army would not shoot at Malawians during the the planned protests due to discontent in the army. The Zimbabwean personnel were stationed in Lilongwe, Mzuzu, Blantayre, and Zomba.
, the presidents brother, as a presidential candidate for the 2014 presidential election. He is currently the Minister of Education, Science and Technology. This early announcement came a few days after the protests. His appointment decision was made by President Bingu wa Mutharika and endorsed by the council without a party convention. DPP Secretary General Wakuda Kamanga stated that they are optimistic that the country will elect another Mutharika in spite of the protests because the "anger would phase out." The party also sacked other leaders that had been against the promotion of the Peter Mutharika as a candidate, including first vice-president Joyce Banda and second vice-president Khumbo Kachale.
States - The Millennium Challenge Corporation, a government agency, suspended aid because it was "deeply upset" by the deaths of the 19 people during the demonstrations.
NGOs
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
. On 20 July, Malawian organisations protested against perceived poor economic management and poor governance by President Bingu wa Mutharika
Bingu wa Mutharika
Bingu wa Mutharika is a Malawi economist who is President of Malawi. He took office on 24 May 2004 after winning a disputed presidential election...
and his Democratic Progressive Party
Democratic Progressive Party (Malawi)
The Democratic Progressive Party is the ruling political party in Malawi. The party was formed in February 2005 by Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika after a dispute with the United Democratic Front....
. After the first two days of protests, 18 deaths, 98 serious injuries and 275 arrests had been reported. Further demonstrations were organised on 17 August and 21 September The first protest was later cancelled due to the intervention of a UN representative in initiating a dialogue; however, the talks broke down with more protests planned for Red Wednesday through a national vigil
Vigil
A vigil is a period of purposeful sleeplessness, an occasion for devotional watching, or an observance...
.
Causes
The protesters' grievances were highlighted in a 15-page petition which included a list of 20 demands:- Acute and growing fuel shortages - queuing for fuel was becoming progressively worse over the past two years.
- Forex shortfalls
- Electricity shortages
- Introduction of the "Zero Deficit BudgetZero deficit budgetThe Zero Deficit Budget is a financial strategy laid out by Minister of Finance Ken Kandodo of Malawi under the Bingu wa Mutharika administration that is based on zero-based budgeting. This is a new approach to economic financial budgeting for a a 'Least Developed Country' where the government...
" - this budget was introduced after England withdrew budgetary support from Malawi. - Firing of four university lecturers, including Jessie Kabwila-KapasulaJessie Kabwila-KapasulaDr. Jessie Kabwila-Kapasula is an academic, feminist, educator and activist. Her interests are in African feminism.Kabwila-Kapasula was the acting president of the Chancellor College Academic Staff Union that was fired during the stand off to ensure academic freedom at the University of Malawi that...
, Blessings ChinsingaBlessings ChinsingaDr. Blessings Chinsinga is a Malawian lecturer at the center of the Malawi Academic Freedom Stand off and eventual protests. He was a Senior lecturer in Development Administration, Public Policy Analysis and Institutions, and Development at University of Malawi's chancellor college...
, Gaston Kanchedzera and Edge Kanyongoro and limiting academic freedom at the University of MalawiUniversity of MalawiThe University of Malawi is an educational institution established in 1964 and composed of five constituent colleges located in Zomba, Blantyre, and Lilongwe. Of the five colleges, the largest is Chancellor College in Zomba. The name of the school is abbreviated to UNIMA. It is part of the...
. - Attempts against controlling public protests through the requirment of a fee-to-protest of K2 million for mass demonstrations.
- Relations with the United Kingdom following the expulsion of the High Commissioner to Malawi as a result of the Chochraine-Dyet controversy by The NationThe Nation (Malawi)The Nation Newspaper is a newspaper based in Blantyre, Malawi owned by Nations Publications Limited. It began distribution in July, 1993, and became a daily newspaper in 1994. Its sister newspaper Saturday Nation, now called Weekend Nation was launched in 1995...
. - Press freedom, particularly for the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation.
- Failure to monitor proceeds of the Australian company Paladin EnergyPaladin EnergyPaladin Energy Ltd., formerly Paladin Resources Limited is Australia's second biggest sole uranium mining company behind Energy Resources of Australia, which is majority owned by mining giant Rio Tinto. It is headquartered in Perth, Australia....
- Expansion of the cabinet
- Payments to First Lady Callista Mutharika
- NepotismNepotismNepotism is favoritism granted to relatives regardless of merit. The word nepotism is from the Latin word nepos, nepotis , from which modern Romanian nepot and Italian nipote, "nephew" or "grandchild" are also descended....
and the succession of wa Mutharika's brother Peter MutharikaPeter MutharikaArthur Peter Mutharika is a Malawian politician, author, educator, lawyer, advisor and consultant. He has worked in the area of international Justice internationally...
as the head of stateHead of StateA head of state is the individual that serves as the chief public representative of a monarchy, republic, federation, commonwealth or other kind of state. His or her role generally includes legitimizing the state and exercising the political powers, functions, and duties granted to the head of...
. - "Injunctions Bill," which prevents obtaining injunctions against the government despite a court rejection of the bill.
- Reversal of the unpopular change to the Flag of MalawiFlag of MalawiThe current flag of Malawi was adopted on 2010, after the Democratic Progressive Party-led government had proposed a new flag. The stripes were altered from the previous flag to match the original Pan-African Flag layout, with the red stripe at the top, the black stripe in middle, and the green...
- "Sheer arrogance" of wa Mutharika
- Unconstitutional treatment of elected officials, notably attempts to strip Vice President Joyce BandaJoyce BandaJoyce Hilda Banda is a Malawian educator, grassroots gender rights activist turned politician who has been Vice-President of Malawi since May 2009. She is Malawi's first female vice president. She had previous posts as a Member of Parliament, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for...
of rights and privileges accorded by the Constitution of Malawi
Protests
After several weeks of protests,, on 19 July, the government issued an order banning civil society organisations from protesting. A day before the election, the government set out to intimidate potential protestors. Two vehicles belonging to the independent private radio station Zodiak Radio were set alight by masked men. In the commercial capital BlantyreBlantyre
The name Blantyre may refer to several things:Malawi*Blantyre District — Blantyre, a district of Malawi**Blantyre, Malawi — Blantyre, a city of Malawi...
, five official DPP vehicles carrying DPP Youth Cadets (a youth wing of the DPP) were seen driving around the city waving machete
Machete
The machete is a large cleaver-like cutting tool. The blade is typically long and usually under thick. In the English language, an equivalent term is matchet, though it is less commonly known...
s.
The government obtained an injunction to stop the protests.
20 July
A coalition of 80 Civil societies and NGO's, religious and student groups (collectively known as 'Concerned Citizens') chose 20 July 2011 as a day of national protest against economic and administrative management. Prominent civil and human rights organisations like the umbrella NGO Human Rights Consultative CommitteeHuman Rights Consultative Committee
The Human Rights Consultative Committee is a civil rights organization in Malawi. They are committed to the promotion and protection of human rights for the Malawi. There activities include advocacy, monitoring, information sharing, capacity building and resource mobilization for member...
(HRCC) and the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation
Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation
The Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, or CHRR, is a human rights non-governmental organisation in Malawi. It was founded in February 1995 as a non-profit, apolitical, voluntary organization registered under the Trustees Incorporation Act of 1962...
(CHRR) were both a part of the Concerned Citizens group and played a central role in planning the protest. It also included the Malawi Law Society and the Council of Churches. Mutharika then scheduled a public lecture for the same day to which he invited all citizens, NGO's and civil societies upon registration. The Concerned Citizens largely said that they would not attend a 'lecture' by the president because they wanted dialogue and their concerns to be addressed. Pro-government supporters then scheduled a pro-government protest on the same day, July 20. On the morning of July 20, 2011, mass anti-government protests began in the major cities of Mzuzu
Mzuzu
Mzuzu is the capital of Malawi's Northern Region and is the third largest city, by population, in Malawi. The City has 128,432 residents plus 20,000 commuters with about 1.7 million people living around the outskirts of the city...
, Blantyre, and the capital Lilongwe
Lilongwe
Lilongwe, estimated population 902,388 as of 2009, is the capital and largest city of Malawi. It lies in the country's central region, on the Lilongwe River, near the border of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, and on the main north-south highway of Malawi, the M1.-History:The city started life as a...
. Protests also occurred in Zomba, Kasungu, and Ntchesi. The Concerned Citizens were wearing red shirts and other articles of clothing and called themselves the "Red Army for Democracy and Peace." The protests began peacefully with participants singing the national anthem, taking photos, holding signs and giving speeches.Many were waving the old Malawi flag who's public display had been banned by the Mutharika government.
The government response to these protests included preemptive arrests of civil society leaders. Police assaulted MCP spokesperson Nancy Tembo
Nancy Tembo
Nancy Tembo is a Malawian MP for Lilongwe City South West and current spokesperson for the Malawi Congress Party.She was arrested, detained and released during the Protests on July 20th, 2011. She is the Chairperson of the Parliamentary SubCommittee on reproduction...
, Joyce Banda's sister Anjimile Oponyo
Anjimile Oponyo
Anjimile Mtila-Oponyo is a Malawian development worker and educator selected by Madonna as CEO and Head of the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls in Malawi. Prior to joining the academy, she worked for the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the United Nations Development Program where she...
, The Nation journalist Kondwani Munthali and the head of the HRCC Undule Mwakasungula
Undule Mwakasungula
Undule Mwakasungula is a human rights activist in Malawi. He is the current chairperson for the Human Rights Consultative Committee . He is the former director for the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation , a network of Church Institutions, Human Rights NGOs and the Law Society of Malawi...
. There was a clamp down by police on anyone wearing red clothes which was particularly violent in Mzuzu. Police forces began to disrupt broadcasts by radio stations, and ordered journalists not to report on the protests. Anti-government citizens clashed with security forces in the northern cities of Mzuzu and Karonga
Karonga
Karonga is a township in the Karonga District in Northern Region of Malawi. Located on the western shore of Lake Nyasa, it was established as a slaving centre sometime before 1877. As of 2008 estimates, Karonga has a population of 42,555.-History:...
and Blantyre.
After the national lecture by President Mutharika, which failed to address the grievances of the protesters, tensions grew further and looting of targeted business and properties began. Business properties of political allies of the president were targeted, along with the homes of two police officers in the north that had participated in the clampdown of protesters with excessive force. The violence continued to grow largely in the major cities.
21 July
Although the protests were only planned for 20 July, they continued the next day because of the manner in which the government responded to the protests. The government did not acknowledge that there was discontent in the country and clamped down on journalists, radio stations, citizens and protesters wearing red. On 21 July the army was sent in to reinforce riot police already present in Mzuzu, Blantyre, Ntchesi, and in the capital LilongweLilongwe
Lilongwe, estimated population 902,388 as of 2009, is the capital and largest city of Malawi. It lies in the country's central region, on the Lilongwe River, near the border of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, and on the main north-south highway of Malawi, the M1.-History:The city started life as a...
. At least two people were killed amid widespread looting in the suburbs of Lilongwe as Mutharika vowed to "use any measure I can think of" to quell the unrest.
22 July
The director of the Church and Society rights organisation, Moses Mkandawire, said that the government had blocked funeral processions for seven of those killed in the previous two days' protests. "We have been stopped by the government with our arrangements to bury the seven heroes. The government says it will provide transport to have the seven buried in their respective [village] homes." Al JazeeraAl Jazeera
Al Jazeera is an independent broadcaster owned by the state of Qatar through the Qatar Media Corporation and headquartered in Doha, Qatar...
reported that many of these protest leaders had received death threats and gone into hiding for fear of arrest or worse.
23 July
Vice President Joyce Banda, one of the opposition leaders Mutharika accused of inciting unrest, publicly endorsed the protests against Mutharika's government and stated "regret" for deaths, injuries, and property damage incurred during the demonstrations. Banda, thought to be entertaining a run for the presidency in 2014, suggested poor economic conditions, corruption, and weak democratic institutions had forced Malawians to take to the streets. She said she had appealed to Mutharika to hold a dialogue with the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the former colonial power of Malawi with which the Mutharika administration had recently become embroiled in a diplomatic row, over the Cochrane-Dyet cable in the hopes of forging an agreement to provide Malawi with economic relief.
26 July
Rafiq HajatRafiq Hajat
Rafiq Hajat is a prominent Malawian civil rights activist. He is the director for the Institute for Policy Interaction in Malawi.-Career:...
, the director of the Institute for Policy Interaction warned Mutharika that if he did not address protesters' demands by 16 August, demonstrations would resume on 17 August with the goal of ending his regime. The Public Affairs Committee, a group composed of both Christian and Muslim
Islam in Malawi
Islam is the second largest religion in Malawi after Christianity; nearly all of Malawi's Muslims adhere to Sunni Islam. According to the CIA Factbook, 12.8% of the country's population is Muslim. Recently, Muslim groups have engaged in missionary work in Malawi. Much of this is performed by the...
activists, also warned that "should [the] government continue to harass people for no proper reasons, another demonstration will be inevitable. Bullets and tear gas have never triumphed over the will of the people."
17 August
The Concerned Citizens of Malawi staged another protest on 17 August in the form of a national vigil for the victims of the 20 July protest. The vigil was, however, cancelled a day before the protests due to the intervention of the United Nations who engaged civil society groups and the government in dialogue. The dialogue later broke down because of what the civil society groups said was continued intimidation being faced outside the meeting.A string of arson cases were also reported, including fires at the offices of Rafiq Hajat and the home of Reverend MacDonald Sembereka
MacDonald Sembereka
Reverend MacDonald Sembereka is a Malawian reverend, civil and human rights activist. He is the acting national coordinator of the Human Rights Consultative Committee , a network of 91 local civil society and non-governmental organizations. He has been at the forefront of coordinating the...
. wa Mutharika was accused of being behind the arsons, particularity since he threatened protest leaders by saying he would "smoke you out." He later denied being behind the arsons. No one has been arrested or found guilty of partakig in the arson cases, but the government has condemned them.
20–21 September - Red Wednesday
The two primary markets in Blantyre and Lilongwe were also burned down on 20 September 20th, a day before the Red Wednesday protests on September 21.On 21 September a national stay-at-home was organised with the aim of shutting down the economy via a general strike
General strike
A general strike is a strike action by a critical mass of the labour force in a city, region, or country. While a general strike can be for political goals, economic goals, or both, it tends to gain its momentum from the ideological or class sympathies of the participants...
on what the organisers called "Red Wednesday." Businesses and banks across the country were closed; at the same time there was also an heavy police presence and protestors clad in red. People were also urged by the organisers to hold vigils at home to commemorate the deaths of Malawians killed during the protests in July. The protest was held on Wednesday to mark the day of the 19 people during the July protests; it also marks the beginning of a planned for three day stay-at-home strike. Bingu wa Mutharika called for an end to the on the state-owned Malawi Broadcasting Corporation
Malawi Broadcasting Corporation
The Malawi Broadcasting Corporation is a state-run radio company in Malawi. It was founded in 1964. It has two radio stations, Radio 1 and Radio 2, and transmits on FM, Medium Wave and Shortwave frequencies.Its headquarters is based in Blantyre, Malawi....
warning that "You can’t bully me into submission. [The] government can’t be taken to ransom by a few disgruntled individuals hiding in the name of civil society. If you stop people from going to work, I will deal with you." He added that the strikes were illegal, while telling people to return to work the next day.
Domestic responses
Following the violence, Mutharika called on the people of Malawi to "stop the rioting and let's sit down to discuss. I have a responsibility, based on the powers vested in me by the constitution to bring law and order." After accusing the protesters of being "led by Satan," he then blamed his former deputy Joyce Banda and opposition leaders John TemboJohn Tembo
John Zenus Ungapake Tembo is a Malawian politician and the President of the Malawi Congress Party , the strongest opposition party in Malawi. Tembo comes from the Dedza District in central Malawi, and he is a teacher by profession...
, as well as other civil society leaders of being responsible for the violent protests. "The blood of these people who have died is on you. Let their spirits haunt you at night. This time I'll go after you! Even if you hide in holes I'll smoke you out!" He also said that those organising the protests should face the "consequences." His rhetoric saying to protesters saying that he would "smoke you out" was in reference to former United States President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, who used the same words for Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Laden
Osama bin Mohammed bin Awad bin Laden was the founder of the militant Islamist organization Al-Qaeda, the jihadist organization responsible for the September 11 attacks on the United States and numerous other mass-casualty attacks against civilian and military targets...
.
First Lady Callista Mutharika publicly castigated the NGO's that organised the protests for allegedly being paid by Western donors to "disturb the peace" and promote homosexuality
LGBT rights in Malawi
Homosexual acts are illegal in Malawi. Section 153 prohibits "unnatural offences". Section 156 concerning "public decency" is used to punish homosexual acts...
, stating that they would "go to hell." She further said that villagers should not have an interest in the protest over fuel and foreign exchange
Foreign exchange
Foreign exchange may refer to:Finance* Foreign exchange markets, where money in one currency is exchanged for another* Exchange rate, the price for which one currency is exchanged for another...
since they do not drive cars and because they dont engage in cross border trade. She urged village chiefs and the rural population at-large not to protest. Her response was received with much criticism from civil society.
Cabinet and army reshuffle
On 19 August, state-owned radio reported that Mutharika sacked his entire cabinet without announcing a reason for the move. Analysts speculated that it was related to the protests and the freeze in aid from the United Kingdom triggered by the government's response. He reappointed a new trimmed down cabinetCabinet of Malawi
The Cabinet of Malawi is the executive branch of the government, made up of the President, Vice-President and Ministers and Deputy Ministers responsible for the different departments.The current ruling party is the Democratic Progressive Party...
on 7 September. However, it still included controversial posts such as his wife Callista Mutharika as a cabinet member, his brother Peter Mutharika
Peter Mutharika
Arthur Peter Mutharika is a Malawian politician, author, educator, lawyer, advisor and consultant. He has worked in the area of international Justice internationally...
as Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture Ken Lipenga
Ken Lipenga
Dr. Ken Lipenga was born on February 14th, 1952 at in Chiringa, Phalombe. He is a Malawian politician, journalist, and writer. He is the current Minister of Tourism and Parliamentarian for Phalombe East.. He is the current Minister of Finance in Malawi....
as Minister of Finance, while excluding former Vice President Joyce Banda, wa Mutharika has repeatedly referred to the cabinet as a "war cabinet" charged with defending the "integrity of nation."
Mutharika hastened the retirment of the head of the army, General Marko Chiziko and appointed a new army chief after the protests. Chiziko's replacement is General Henry Odilo.
Zimbabwean mercenaries
Mutharika was accused of hiring mercenariesMercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
from Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
to patrol the streets and suppress protestors in preparation for the second protest which was to take place in the form of a national vigil. They were hired after consultations by wa Mutharika with Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe
Robert Mugabe
Robert Gabriel Mugabe is the President of Zimbabwe. As one of the leaders of the liberation movement against white-minority rule, he was elected into power in 1980...
after it became clear that the Malawian army would not shoot at Malawians during the the planned protests due to discontent in the army. The Zimbabwean personnel were stationed in Lilongwe, Mzuzu, Blantayre, and Zomba.
2014 presidential election
In spite of the nationwide protest against the Mutharika regime, in early August 2011 the DPP National Governing Council (NGC) endorsed Peter MutharikaPeter Mutharika
Arthur Peter Mutharika is a Malawian politician, author, educator, lawyer, advisor and consultant. He has worked in the area of international Justice internationally...
, the presidents brother, as a presidential candidate for the 2014 presidential election. He is currently the Minister of Education, Science and Technology. This early announcement came a few days after the protests. His appointment decision was made by President Bingu wa Mutharika and endorsed by the council without a party convention. DPP Secretary General Wakuda Kamanga stated that they are optimistic that the country will elect another Mutharika in spite of the protests because the "anger would phase out." The party also sacked other leaders that had been against the promotion of the Peter Mutharika as a candidate, including first vice-president Joyce Banda and second vice-president Khumbo Kachale.
International reactions
Supranational bodies- Southern African Development CommunitySouthern African Development CommunityThe Southern African Development Community is an inter-governmental organization headquartered in Gaborone, Botswana. Its goal is to further socio-economic cooperation and integration as well as political and security cooperation among 15 southern African states...
- Executive Secretary Tomaz SalomaoTomaz SalomaoTomaz Salomão , a Mozambican economist, is the Secretary General of the Southern African Development Community . Salomão was appointed at the 2005 Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Southern African Development Community in Gaborone, Botswana...
sent an observer mission to Malawi to gather information and report back to the SADC meeting in LuandaLuandaLuanda, formerly named São Paulo da Assunção de Loanda, is the capital and largest city of Angola. Located on Angola's coast with the Atlantic Ocean, Luanda is both Angola's chief seaport and its administrative center. It has a population of at least 5 million...
, AngolaAngolaAngola, officially the Republic of Angola , is a country in south-central Africa bordered by Namibia on the south, the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the north, and Zambia on the east; its west coast is on the Atlantic Ocean with Luanda as its capital city...
.
States - The Millennium Challenge Corporation, a government agency, suspended aid because it was "deeply upset" by the deaths of the 19 people during the demonstrations.
NGOs
- Amnesty InternationalAmnesty InternationalAmnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
- AI reported that at least 44 people were injured with gunshot wounds, and at least 8 people were killed by the security forces. AI called for an investigation into this misuse of firearms.