Police and army stop anti-government protesters from going to State House

Police in Lilongwe have stopped anti-government protesters from going to State House where the protesters wanted to deliver a petition demanding the resignation of President Lazarus Chakwera.

The protesters in Lilongwe have been led by activist Joshua Chisa Mbele who also led similar protests in Blantyre yesterday.

The anti-government protesters wanted to go to the president’s official residence to present a petition demanding Chakwera to resign because he has failed to deliver on his promises.

Among other issues, Mbele, who organised the protests under Coalition Against Impunity, says there is corruption under Chakwera and Malawians are suffering due to continued rise in cost of living.

From Lilongwe Community Ground, protesters started marching towards Kamuzu Palace where they planned to deliver a petition and hold a vigil in order to wait for Chakwera to return from Northern Region.

However, police and Malawi Defence Force soldiers were deployed at Kamuzu Central Roundabout in Lilongwe to stop the protesters from proceeding to Kamuzu Palace.

The protesters were forced to make a turn heading to Lilongwe District Commissioners’ office to deliver their petition.

The plan to deliver the petition to State House was announced last week but authorities had been advising the organizers to deliver their petition to the District Commissioner.

Yesterday, President Chakwera left Lilongwe for Mzuzu in the Northern Region.