Malawi Police assault demonstrators in Mzuzu, ban protest
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By Matamando Mudika
MZUZU (Malawi Democrat) –Malawi police on February 14 broke up a peaceful demonstration of citizens in the northern city of Mzuzu arresting dozens and “indiscriminately” beating up people who were gathered at Katoto Freedom Park to protest the unconvincing government explanation of fuel shortage that has almost brought commercial sector on its knees.
Police detained Moses Mkandawire, one of the civil society organisers, and issued ban against the march.
The heavily armed security forces also snatched a digital camera memory card from Executive Director of Child Rights Information & Documentation Centre (CRIDOC), George Kayange, who took pictures of police brutality.
The cops assaulted people who carried posters criticizing the government on the fuel crisis.
About a dozen of women had to be treated for injuries after police attacked the protesters.
“The demonstration was organised against persistent and continuous fuel shortages in the country,” said Mkandawire.
Similar demonstration was blocked by police in the capital, Lilongwe which was called by the Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC), in collaboration with civil society networks and institutions including but not limited to Civil Society Coalition for Quality Basic Education (CSCQBE), Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN), Malawi Congress of Trade Unions (MCTU), Council for NGOs in Malawi (CONGOMA), Malawi Human Rights Youth Network (MHRYN), National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives (NOMN), Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN)
The demonstration was dubbed ‘The Big Bicycle March on the Fuel Crisis’.
Minister of Finance Ken Kandodo explained in Parliament that the fuel crisis has been due to forex shortages while President Bingu wa Mutharika on Saturday attributed the problem to congestion at Beira Port in Mozambique.
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