By Serah Chilora, Thomas Kachere, Isaac Salima:
In a rare occurrence in the country, President Lazarus Chakwera’s convoy to Chileka International Airport yesterday was disturbed by crowds of people twice within a stretch of about a kilometre.
Chakwera was leaving the country for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Chakwera has travelled to hold bilateral talks and attend the inauguration for Felix Tshisekedi.
Chakwera has made the trip in defiance of his own freeze which he announced in November last year on foreign travel by government officials, including himself.
On his way to the airport, at the Clock Tower roundabout and HHI roundabout, crowds of people caused scenes that obstructed his convoy.
In one scene at HHI, the convoy ran into a funeral procession where people sang “Amatikonda masiku onse mbuye wanga” , a popular hymn of resignation to divinity while carrying shrubs and blocking the road against the passage of convoy vehicles.
An eye witness we spoke to at HHI roundabout said the presidential convoy sweeper vehicle tried to stop the funeral procession which was coming from Ndirande Township.
However, the people refused to give it way saying Malawi’s culture respects funeral ceremonies.
The people who were on their way to HHI cemetery for a burial ceremony then stopped in the middle of the road and started chanting songs that the convoy must stop until they pass.
“When members of security tried to stop the people, they continued in their way and this forced the convoy to stop because they [the people] were on the road. They pointed at their banner which had a message of ‘Lemekezani Maliro’,” the eyewitness said.
After some time, the convoy proceeded with the people jeering “Wayimabe! Waayimabe!”
That scene comes after another in Zingwangwa in the week when Chakwera toured an Admarc market and the crowd got rowdy in displeasure.
Before his departure at Chileka International Airport, Chakwera who was brief in his comment said, the trip was important as it will see the two countries benefiting on peace and security issues.
“I think peace and security issues are extremely important for our region, and the invitation that President Tshisekedi gave me is one I will sacrifice for the sake of peace and security in the region,” he said.
Chakwera’s travel has, however, ruffled the feathers of Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) chairperson Gift Trapence and Willy Kambwandira of Center for Social Accountability and Transparency (Csat) as it goes against his own ban on foreign travel.
Trapence said Chakwera has failed to live through his own words, arguing that this has not set a good example to the people that he leads.
“It is our expectation that the President will be able explain to Malawians how important this trip is and what economic value this trip has over and above the austerity measures,” he said.
Kambwandira said he was not surprised as this is not the first time that Chakwera has gone against his own words.
“The President has set bad precedent by failing to follow his own rules. When the President is breaking the rules set by himself, it does not give any confidence how serious we are about austerity measures,” he said.
The statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that Chakwera has temporarily suspended his public engagements in the Southern Region to undertake “this unscheduled trip”.
