Malawi Police removes ‘obscene’ placard at GBV demo, arrest one:IG Kachama says it demeaned women
Malawi Police Inspector General Lexten Kachama ordered an ‘obscene’ placard to be removed during a demonstration by concerned citizens against gender based violence GBV) in Lilongwe.
Demonstrators were carrying placards with various messages but the one which attracted divergent comments on social media was handwritten with explicit mention of women private parts in both Chichewa and English.
Kachama is said to have called Police providing security at the demonstrations to remove the said placard and let the demonstration continue without the one carrying obscene message-placard.
In an interview with Nyasa Times, Kachama confirmed to have ordered police to remove the placard because it was demeaning to women.
“It was too much, it was demeaning to women. Anakhala ngati awavula azimayi onse (It was like all the women were undressed). We cannot allow that,” said Kachama.
Police removed the offensive placard and allowed the demonstration to continue.
The demonstration comes in the wake of various cases of gender based violence especially against women which saw a 30 year old Lilongwe woman being stabbed to death by her former boyfriend.
High profile people who participated in the demonstrations included Speaker of Parliament Richard Msowoya, human rights activists and members of the diplomatic community.
Meanwhile, Police arrested Beatrice Mateyo who was carrying the offensive placard.
The demo which started from Area 18 roundabout through parliament and Capital Hill roundabout, to Lilongwe City Council offices was led by Chairperson for Women’s Parliamentary Caucus, Jessie Kabwila who, during one of the stopovers of the march, branded the GBV perpetrators as cowards who are scared of successful and independent women and thus shield their cowardice through physical violence.
She said: “Let’s get each other clear here: This demonstration is not against men. It is a demonstration of our disapproval against the barbaric acts of gender based violence against women which are perpetrated by cowards who in turn, are tarnishing the good image of this country’s civilized men.”
Kabwira also refreshed the sorrowful memories of the women who had been killed through GBV, including that of late Miriam Siula who was viciously stabbed to death by her ex-boyfriend for allegedly having refused to get back into relationship with him.
“As concerned citizens, we are in deep shock with the recent death of a young woman; late Miriam Siula who was murdered by her ex-partner in Chilinde. There have also been many cases of Gender Based Violence in form of physical abuses through brutal beatings of wives by their husbands who unfortunately are our own law enforcers,” reads part of the petition which has been presented to the Ministry of Gender, Disability and Social Welfare.
The activists have since demanded, through the petition, that among others, all teachers who engage in any form of gender based violence must be fired by their respective institutions.
“We call upon the Head of State to issue a statement as the HE for She Ambassador to condemn gender based violence in all its forms,” reads one of the demands in the petition.
The petition was received by Deputy Minister for Gender, Clement Mbukwa, who promised to submit it to the relevant authorities for relevant action.
Follow and Subscribe Nyasa TV :
Let me also commend the one who talked about child dumping, can we as well march against this practice which is also so rampant in this country. It is another barbaric act which needs strong condemnation.
I think Malawians need to learn to respect ourselves, GBV activism sinayambe kuno even in western countries people demonstrate, but do they carry such type of placards? Now some of you feel its wrong to arrest the woman carrying it, kodi malamulo munayamba mwawerengako okhudzana ndi zimenezi? if you have proper legal grounds to defend her just go to court and defend her not on this forum. In any Malawian society those words are obscene and are only uttered in public by insane people or some prostitutes not at a function like this one. More over GBV is not for… Read more »
By the way, mwamuchita charge mzimayiyu, momwemonso chitani ndi aja amabwera ndi ma sign post olemba dzina la mudzi nkumati tinasiya kunyera kutchire. If they can’t find appropriate words to stop demeaning our villages, nafe tidzi gwiritsa mau olaulawa. Start with the government of Malawi, adzilemba mosati laula akumudzife!!
What about those women who damp babies in Ekwendeni and across the country? Maybe you want to tell us that those kids deserve to be damp or they don’t have rights at all? Tell us, what have you done to end this barbaric system that your so called women are doing to those innocent kids? Zachamba basi!.
Ma reject aku banja awa nawo azibambowa kuthawa ulova kumeneku?.Fawzia Mukuti bwanji placard yanuyo?.You are crossing red line ndi zi ma rights zanuzi.How can you allow placard yotukwana ngati imeneyi?.Poti manyazi mulibe muzaziona if not you mwina azukulu anu.Lero mukuti mukukonza pomwe mukubvala mabvuto akulu opepusa banja.Tidzingokupwalani basi poti ulemu mulibe.Dress to kill yanuyo tikupwalani kumene.Seduction everywhere?.Kapena mulibe ma hope ?Mukutidabwisa nazo dress to kill your husband not somebodies husband or Kumamuyesa bwana kufuna back door promotion ayi?.Konzani bvuto lanu lero lekani kulodza dzala azibambo.
I salute you Mr. IG. You have demonstrated that Malawi need to embrace its cultural and moral values. Please older your boys to start arresting women who move around the streets half naked. Some enters in town dressing as if they are entering bathrooms in their self contained houses, or as if they are in bedrooms with their men.
I feel town women are perpetrators of GBV especially, they don’t listen to their husbands when advised on proper dressing.
Just imagile, a woman carrying an obscene placard. Shame!!!
Arresting Mateyo is another GBV ,she didnt commit any crime?have arrested her coz she carried a placard with very important message or what??musiyeni wanena tamva thats it
Mahule onse munali ku Demonstration., banja munalilephera and how can you demonstrate against gender based violence. Posachedwapa nzimayi nzanu anavula nzake and kumumenya zinthuzi kuika pa social media we didnt hear anything from the women just because the lady is a lawyer friend. Apa the demonstrations come in the wake that wa Police anamenya mkazi wake after kumupeza ndizibwezi…do you think any sensible husband can smile for that…. muli ndi chibwana…how can Kabwila condemn about GBV yet she used to beat her husband Mr Kapasula a plumber at Chancellor College…who had no choice but dump her….This is unworth demonstration perpetuated… Read more »
Show us the obscene placard nyasa!
Total shame to Malawi as a nation. I hear Hon Jessie Kabwira Kapasula was there. Kodi iwowo sanaone zolaulazo ndi kupanga reason ndi azimayi anzawowo? Nanga mpakana kumutchula shadada mosapsatira amangwetu bwanji, mufuna ana aziti chani akamaona zimenezi. That’s why marriages are breaking shockingly in Malawi. Private parts ans sex are cheaper to access now. Human Rights defenders, chonde lemekezani ziwalo za azimayi athu, anatibereka, kutilera, pano amatilangiza respect them please. We don’t need foul language nafenso ” enogh is enogh” for bad language on our young women (young and old).