Human Rights Defenders Coalition has presented a petition to parliament in its ongoing attempt to have the Malawi Election Commission (MEC) resign or fired.

Chairperson of the Coalition, Timothy Mtambo, said they have lost hope with Capitol Hill where they previously delivered the petition in June this year, saying they hope parliamentarians will help them in their calls.

“On behalf of Malawians of good will in whose behalf you represent in this August House, we surrender this petition believing that their voice shall form substratum of your discussions on the topical issues of national interest.

“We thank you and believe that our petition will be given the attention and priority it deserves,” he said.

In Lilongwe, demonstrators marched from Community Ground to Capitol Hill then back to Parliament where they presented the petition which has some amendments from the previous one.

In the seven paged petition, the Coalition wants parliament to intervene in their calls for the resignation of MEC Chairperson, Justice Dr. Jane Ansah and the entire Commission on allegations that they mismanaged the May 21 elections.

The protesters also plead with the August House to reject Duncan Mwapasa as Inspector General of Police on allegation of incompetence.

They say Mwapasa was implicated in the police food ration scam, saying he needs to pave way for investigation.

They also reiterated their stand for parliamentarians to block allocation of funds for construction of two stadia for Nyasa Big Bullets and Be Forward Wanderers football clubs.

The Coalition has also resurrected the tabling of electoral reform bill in parliament.

Dowa East Member of Parliament, Richard Chimwendo Banda, received the petition and promised the protesters that Business Committee of the House will table it in the House.

The demonstration did not, however, run short of ugly scenes as some protesters attacked two journalists; Golden Mationga of the Nation Publications Limited and Gladys Nthenda of Kulinji.

They went away with phones and some cash, leaving Nthenda with torn clothes.

Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA) – Malawi has condemned physical and indecent assault of two journalists; Golden Matonga of Nation Publications Limited and Gladys Nthenda of kulinji.com by some demonstrators during protests organized by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) on Wednesday.

MISA –Malawi Chairperson, Teresa Ndanga, says in a statement that is very unfortunate that the assault on the two did not stop even after they duly displayed their professional identity cards.

“MISA Malawi, which is also a human rights advocacy body, believes that all human freedoms and rights, including the right to demonstrate, should be exercised with responsibility.

“We therefore expect demonstrators to exercise their right to demonstrate while recognizing the existence of other rights and freedoms such as media freedom, which is enshrined in the Republican Constitution and nobody has the right to take the same away from journalists. Both Matonga and Nthenda were left traumatized and were unable to complete their duties,” she said.

Ndanga called on organizers of these demonstrations to decisively deal with such barbaric acts while commending soldiers of the Malawi Defense Force for intervening to calm the situation. 

During the anti—Jane Ansah demonstrations on Wednesday, the demonstrators tore Nthenda’s clothes and also stole a mobile phone and a wallet belonging to Matonga, accusing the two journalists of being government spies

Euthini Secondary School student died on Sunday when bags of rice from a truck he was travelling in to school, fell on him. 

Euthini Secondary School head teacher, Elias James, said in an interview that Hastings Chiziba, 19, and in form 2, boarded a truck carrying bags of rice, on his way to Euthini Secondary School where he was a boarder.

‘’The deceased was travelling from his home, Luvwele to Euthini in a truck full of bags of rice.

‘’ When the truck reached Kabwafu, the bags collapsed and forced him onto the ground. Some of the bags fell on top of him,’’ said James.

James said Hastings died on the spot.