Stand up against oppression, activists urge Malawians on Chilembwe Day
Two prominent civil rights activists have told Malawians to stand up against oppression as the nation on Friday commemorates John Chilembwe Day.
Timothy Mtambo, executive director of Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) and Gift Trapence of Centre for Development (Cedep) said this in a joint statement.
The two rights activists said Malawians can best celebrate the life of Chilembwe by drawing lessons on his freedom fighting prowess.
“We should reflect on his struggle. He had to mobilise people to fight the barbaric leadership at that time, the colonists,” say Mtambo and Trapence.
They say this is the time for Malawians to take stock of the leadership of the country whether it is taking Malawi forward or not.
“There have been a lot of effort to suffocate freedoms, a lot of resistance to freedom to demonstrate…our leaders should give space to its citizens propagandas will not help,” say Mtambo and Trapence.
The activits state that whenever there is abuse of power by the country’s leadership, the citizens have tended to wait for the CSOs leaders to speak up or even demonstrate for them.
“This is disappointing. Little wonder, government has taken advantage of the citizens’ docility to wage a war of propaganda against civil rights activists”, observes Mtambo and Trapence, Executive Directors for CHRR and CEDEP respectively.
CHRR and CEDEP further observed that there have also been some few instances where the civil and political space has observably been hijacked by some opportunists and populists who just want to ride on the shoulders of concerned Malawians to achieve their ends.
“It’s sad to observe that while some CSOs leaders are exposing the ills of Malawi’s public systems in good faith, others have found taking on government as a safety valve to their individual failures and frustrations. These are the people who are spoiling the civil and political space, and in the process, eroding public trust in the civil society movement.
“Most regrettably, the enjoyment of civil and political rights today is also being held back by an unprecedented magnitude of government propaganda against demonstrations in the country. In worst scenarios, we have seen government sponsoring protests to quell the anti-government protests. Thus, Chilembwe Day should offer the nation an opportunity to reflect on the challenges facing the civil and political space today. Together we can”, said the CHRR and CEDEP statement.
Chilembwe is touted as the first ever Malawian to stand up against the white rule.
He organised a dozen men, store arms from an armoury in Mandala, Blantyre and killed a white tea planter but his disorganised, hurried up and unprepared revolt in 1915 was quicklly brought down.
Chilembwe is believed to have been killled by the colonial forces either in Mulanje or Mozambique but his body was not recovered.
His rise against whites however was an inspiration to other Malawians like Kamuzu Banda who succesfully brought independence to Malawi.
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Did Gift and Trapence marry women or men? Do they have children in their homes and good do they teach them. Do these guys go to church and is their conscious clear that what they advocate is devilish.
Kodi ma Gay wa akuti chaniso? ndangodutsamo
Koma za mathanyula ndiye ayi.
dont let coloialist be back chilembwe will haunt you
Achitsiru inu where is oppression in malawi ngati mukufuna kutamika pamaso pa azungu nde mupusa nazo. Akukutuma akupweteketsa
A Mtambo, osamakango panga za mathanyulazo bwanji? Do you thinks anthu adzakuvelaninso? Dzipangani za mathanyula basi. Every demonstration you will organize will be lebelled Mathanyula.
Trapence and Mtambo you have not been clever in handling sensitive issues much as what you are saying is true. No body would want hi/her name mentioned in the same sentence with yours because of your stand on homosexuality. You will always find it difficult to mobilize citizens even for a good cause.
O……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….O The problem with you Mtambo and your Trumpet, I mean Trapence, is that while you want to speak to us in a language that we understand and our ears long for, you have flies following you; and we all know what is, when flies follow somebody. . . . You are aliens in our midst . . . . . . a culture that is foreign, in deed . . . . . . two people, so void of wits . . . . . . that a fool of yourselves you make, indeed . . . . .… Read more »
Vitsiru va wanthu ivi.Ndani angavimvere viwanthu vofuna kulimbikitsa kunyoza Mulungu?Vi agalu.