Malawi: Confusion and Uncertainty Over August 17 Vigil · Global Voices
With hours to go before August 17, 2011, the day set aside for follow-up nation-wide demonstrations in Malawi, a cloud of uncertainty hovers over the country. Two different teams of organizers have given contradicting statements about the day, one team announcing a postponement, another team indicating they are going ahead. Online reactions range from relief to frustration, confusion to defiance.
The organizers of the 20 July demonstrations had given President <PERSON> a deadline by which to answer their petition, after which they would take to the streets again. On Sunday, President <PERSON> addressed the nation, discussing some of the issues raised in the petition.
The organizers met on the same day and announced that they had resolved to go ahead with the demonstrations because the president had not fully addressed the issues. On Tuesday morning, the organizers decided to postpone the demonstrations citing two reasons: there was a court injunction against the demonstrations and the UN Secretary General had sent emissaries to help mediate the situation.
Protest advertisement. Photo source: <PERSON> Facebook page.
By noon, a lunch hour news bulletin from Zodiak Broadcasting Station was quoting a Blantyre-based organizer, <PERSON>, as contradicting the announcement of the postponement. <PERSON> was said to have indicated that Blantyre-based civil society organizations were in a meeting, and would make their own decision as to whether to proceed with the vigil or postpone it.
The president has spent the past two weeks talking to street vendors in the major cities of Lilongwe, Blantyre and Mzuzu, pleading with them not to participate in the August 17 demonstrations. There were reports on Tuesday morning that the police were snatching copies of one of the dailies, carrying the news of MHRC report.
<PERSON> mentioned this in a tweet, quoting a post from Facebook:
I understand the police are going around Blantyre confiscating the ‘Nation’ newspaper via @daniso
On my timeline, the first suggestion that the vigil had been postponed appeared on the discussion forum Nyasanet at 8.44am Malawi time. It said:
<PERSON> The rumour in town is that the vigil has been cancelled. 830
Will update as soon as I get any more substantive updates.
It took 20 minutes for somebody to respond, not hiding their irritation:
Please come on the forum with concrete positions that rumours. I find this not only disturbing but morally wrong. Thanks
The original poster came back with a two-sentence response:
The reasons being given is that the police can not handle the demos because of their incapacitation in terms of handling riots. They say they will be tempted to use live bullets in the event that people go berserk
It became apparent that the postponement was not a rumour anymore when someone posted on Malawi Talk, another discussion forum, and reported that Zodiak Broadcasting Station were airing a live press conference from the Lilongwe organisers. One of the organizers posted an announcement on their Facebook wall, pleading with the public for their understanding:
Painfully, it is indeed true that we have POSTPONED – Not CANCELLED, the 17th and 18th August <PERSON>. full statement within the next 2 Hours. Your understanding will highly be appreciated at this time. Pepani fellow Malawians- we had to make a decision having weighed all situations- <PERSON>, we plead for your acceptance- It would have been worse and unstoppable!!! <PERSON>!!
The reaction on Facebook and Twitter was fast and furious. Someone asked one of the organizers on their Facebook wall:
tell us the truth Mr <PERSON> whats on the ground????????????
That question elicited a few responses which did not hide the frustrations, making allusions to whether the civil society leaders had sold out:
it shows that money has worked in tha elders pockets
That same person later added:
i cant wait they just fooled us ,,,,not us but themselves,,,ope we will hav forex 2moro
More reactions came on the same wall:
AM DISAPOINTED WTH U…
i read ur articles daily and thot u wre a genius!!
am speakng to u as part v e civil society…o rather a branch of corupt greedy selfish political men!
Another one added:
We thot cso were on our side. Nw w r hearing alot of stories on hw u hav bin gvn money 2 call off the demos!
Some frustrations were as a result of an aborted holiday:
we already declared holiday tomorow what should we do now
Other netizens didn't think much about the selling out suggestion. 830