LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-Malawians in all most corners of the country on Friday, April 17, 2020 showed anger against government decision on 21 days lockdown aimed at reducing further spread of the virus.
Residents from Mulanje, Chitipa, Karonga, Mangochi and Lilongwe went on rampage against the decision.
They demanded sedatives before the lockdown including free food, free electricity, water and among others if the decision was to be implemented.
For instance residents of the impoverished slum of Kawuma in the capital Lilongwe vowed that come rain and sunshine will defy a 21 day national lockdown arguing that no money and food could sustain them during that period.
The residents said this when rights activist and politician Dr. Jessie Kabwila visited the area as former Malawi’s Parliamentary Women Caucus chairperson on a mission to appreciate people’s concerns of the planned lockdown.
Vice Chairperson for Kawuma market, Emron Manyenje lockdown was a non starter based on their incomes.
“We are rejecting this. We will continue business as usual because that is how most of us earn a living. We will not just sit there and watch ourselves dying of hunger,” said Manyenje amid cheers of approval from scores of other residents.
Tanazio Seka who survives by doing piece works observed that government could find other means of containing the spread of the pandemic.
“I walk everyday to places such as area 18, 14, 15 and several others to wash clothes just to earn some money to buy food for my seven children. I also live in a rented house. What will happen if they say I should stay home?” she wondered.
Mphatso Jumbe, fish seller chipped in; “We order our fish from central market almost daily. So, if those markets are closed, where are we going to source fish. This is none starter. We wont accept this”.
The former Salima North-West therefore said she visited the area to hear people’s concerns over the planned lockdown while giving them a platform to air out their sentiments.
“This lockdown has been hurried and declared without considering the plight of poor people such as these. Most of them are just mere labourers or small scale business operators who aim at earning some little money to buy food for the day. Telling them to stay home is just the same as telling them to die.
“The lockdown could have been a good thing especially if authorities considered providing social safety nets to the poor to cushion them from the effects of the lockdown. Otherwise, we find this to be a bad policy aimed at impinging on people’s rights to food and livelihood which we will not allow,” said Kabwila.
Consequently, later the afternoon High Court Judge Andrew Kenyata granted Human Rights Defenders Coalition injunction stopping government from implementing the lockdown for the next seven days waiting judicial review.
President Peter Mutharika announced the lockdown which was slated from midnight on April 18 to May 9, 2020.
President Mutharika justified the decision warning that Malawi risks losing up to 50,000 lives if the country does not act with haste and slow the spread of Covid-19.
The lockdown will, among other things, restrict movements, confine people in their homes and allow them only to trade or buy in their localities within specified time limits.
World Health Organization (WHO) this week observed that poor countries including lockdown would be not an idea without providing sedatives.
As of April 17, 2020, Malawi had 17 COVID-19 cases with two deaths.