Government has decided not to grant permission for demonstrations planned by Human Rights Defenders Coalition HRDC to go ahead from Wednesday August 28.
Minister of information, civic education and communication technology Mark Botomani warns all citizens to ignore any notice of demonstrations and not take part in the same.
Botomani says this decision has been taken considering that all demonstrations have turned out to be riotous despite assurances by organizers that they would be peaceful.
“Conveners of those demonstrations deliberately abuse the right to demonstrate to achieve ulterior agendas,” he said
The information minister stresses that any person who defied the warning will be stopped with necessary force by law enforcers.
Commenting, Law Professor at Chancellor College Professor Edge Kanyongolo says there is no need for humans to seek permission to exercise their human rights.
“Rights will cease to be rights if they are attached to permission,” emphasised Kanyongolo
He added that demonstrations cannot be curtailed on the basis of violence saying it is individuals taking part who turn violent not demonstrations themselves, hence the need for security agents to deal with violent individuals.
Government announced such a decision a day when HRDC declared that will hold the demonstrations from Wednesday 28 to Friday 30 2019.
During their press conference officials of HRDD stressed that were not shaken by threats from various individuals saying will continue pushing for chairperson of Malawi Electoral Commission Justice Dr Jane Ansah to resign.
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