One person was hacked while four others were reportedly beaten as panga-welding masked men blocked some civil servants from conducting peaceful demonstrations in Lilongwe.
The Concerned Civil Servants organised the demonstrations to protest the proposed 20 percent salary hike.
The hike was agreed recently by the Government Negotiating Team, Civil Servants Trade Union (CSTU) and Teachers Union of Malawi (TUM), among other unions.
The group wanted to deliver the petition to Parliament Building in the city.
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No sooner had they gathered and about to start off from Area 18 National War Memorial Tower at 11am than a mob of about 200 men wearing masks and carrying weapons stormed out of the botanical gardens and descended on them.
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Four were beaten and a female teacher hacked in the head and left arm.
The Daily Times visited Area 18 Health Centre, where it was reported that the victims had gone for treatment.
The authorities there told The Daily Times that one individual received treatment at the facility.
The Daily Times crew also visited Lingadzi Police Station, where it found police officers taking the statement of the woman who was allegedly hacked.
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The victim, Monica Mkandawire, a teacher by profession, said the development had affected her psychologically, adding that it would affect her school operations.
“Due to this situation, I will not be able to discharge my duties the way I normally do. On the other hand, my two children, who rely on me, will be greatly affected as they will not receive the care I always provide to them,” Mkandawire said.
She demanded justice on the issue.
“We were, on our own [volition], peacefully planning the demonstrations when the panga-armed men assaulted us. I need compensation from the government or whoever is involved in this,” she said.
Concerned Civil Servants Vice Chairperson Trouble Abednego Myaba said they were concerned with the development.
“Our rights have been violated. We have the right to demonstrate and we were authorised to hold the demonstrations by Lilongwe District Council but our rights have been violated by whosoever has done this. We are really concerned because our voices will not be heard,” Myaba said.
He said the group was making plans on how to deliver the petition to Parliament.
“We are trying to find means of reaching out to the individuals that we possibly want to present our petition to. So, possibly, when we have found a way of doing so, we are going to do so,” he said.
On his part, Malawi Police Service spokesperson Peter Kalaya asked for ample time before he could comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) Chairperson Gift Trapence condemned the malpractice.
“We, as HRDC, are condemning these acts of violence but we are also urging the police to arrest the perpetrators,” Trapence said.
He said it was concerning to see that police personnel were acting as spectators instead of protecting people from the suspected thugs.
“We have had a series of violence like this but the police have done nothing to take action to arrest perpetrators. It is high time the police adhered to the rule of law in the country. We are not a lawless country; so, we would want the police that are apolitical so that they bring the rule of law in this country without any favour,” Trapence said.
This is not the first time for panga-welding men to block people from conducting demonstrations in the city.
Notable ones were two occasions when opposition political parties and Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiative wanted to hold demonstrations to protest the way some electoral processes were being handled.
