By Vincent Gunde
Human Rights Advocator Sir Charles Ben Longwe, has thanked vendors across the country for knowing and understanding their rights that they can fight for themselves and liberate their country from the shackles of MCP dictatorship.
Ben Longwe said vendors have a right of doing demonstrations on their own without the involvement of political parties and activists saying they are the ones that are feeling pain when prices of essential commodities keep on changing everyday one goes into the shop.
He said what vendors are doing fighting for the reduction of prices of essential commodities and if teachers, nurses, police and Army officers and the entire civil service joins the demonstrations, government will be at panic, the country will not be the same as seen today.
Speaking from his Hard Knocks University, Ben Longwe said vendors have the constitutional right to demonstrate in the streets as long as their demonstrations are in line with the fundamental rights of freedom of association and speech.
Ben Longwe has advised vendors that what they have started should not stop until government reduces all the prices of essential commodities for Malawians to live comfortable lives as they used to be yesterday with the previous governments.
He said if a country is moving forward is because of vendors expressing hope that if Malawi is going to see change on 16th September, 2025 elections, vendors must work together to see to it that what they have started holding demonstrations district by district should continue until the country is liberated.
The activist has claimed that President Chakwera and his MCP government have stolen a lot from Malawians saying some ministers and senior government officials have been turned into millionaires over a night with thanks to President Chakwera for watching this and not taking action because all are doing that in the name of party loyalists.
“Whether one likes it or not, there will be change of government in September, 2025 elections, Malawians cannot continue to be slaves from 2020 under President Chakwera and his MCP,” said Longwe.
And Limpopo FM, an online radio station, has thanked vendors of Blantyre and Limbe for teaching the MCP that there K50 million given to them to share not to hold demonstrations in Blantyre respecting President Chakwera was nothing but to show government that they are in pain and suffering through demonstrations.
Comrade Mtanyiwa behind Nkhanga zaona programme, has assured the MCP government that vendors will stop holding demonstrations only if government has stopped hiking prices of essential commodities including maize which is a staple food.
He said on 4th March, 2025 vendors will take to the streets of Zomba, Mangochi and Mzuzu and on from 7th to 10th March, 2025 Salima will be declared a no-go district urging other vendors in Karonga, Nsanje, Mulanje to do the same.
