Justice Kenyatta Nyirenda refused to grant late hour injuction to stop Friday’s demonstrations

* The claimants do not state when they became aware of the demonstrations

* They also do not explain why the application is being brought at this late hour

* As Prophet Bushiri, denies rumours on social media that he is among the people financing demonstrations

By Duncan Mlanjira

Lilongwe High Court Judge, Justice Kenyatta Nyirenda refused to grant a late hour application for an  injunction restraining Joshua Chisa Mbele and three others from holding demonstrations.

The injunction was applied for by Benson Mwamadi, Sarah Sambiri and two others and Justice Nyirenda faults the claimants, saying “they did not state when they became aware of the demonstrations”.

“They also do not explain why the application is being brought at this late hour,” said Kenyatta in his handwritten ruling made on Thursday at 18:50hrs.

The demonstration in Blantyre went ahead with few patronage, with police presence seen to be more prominent than the demonstrators prompting Ngwira Lovemore to comment on Facebook that “patronage in demonstrations has greatly dwindled over the last few years”.

“People have lost trust in the organisers. It’s a battle that benefits the rich and the organisers themselves. People feel betrayed and used after risking their lives in the 2019-2020 mass demonstrations only for the organisers to be rewarded while the ordinary people continue to languish in poverty.

“This is, however, a worrisome development and a danger to democracy, he said.

Meanwhile, publicist for Prophet Shepherd Bushiri, Ephraim Nyondo “strongly condemn, as blantantly false, some rumours circulating on social media saying Bushiri is among the people financing demonstrations”.

“They are bad rumours spread by people with nothing but intentions to always put the name of the Prophet in a negative prism. The Prophet earnestly believes that President Lazarus Chakwera’s government is putting on tremendous efforts to ensure that the prevailing economic challenges Malawians are facing are being addressed.

“Such efforts, the Prophet believes, needs to be supported and, as a man of God, he does that everyday through prayer and, as a bussinesperson, through attracting several people to invest in Malawi.

“However, I must underline here that it is disheartening to note that it is becoming a tradition among some sectors of society that whenever there is an occurence in the country they will always drag the name of Prophet Bushiri in it.”

Nyondo adds that just because Prophet Bushiri prefers to sue such people for defamation “should never be an impetus for such unacceptable and illegal behaviour”.

“Let’s learn to respect each other as brothers and sisters of the same nation with common interests than always investing our energies in mudslinging and destroying each other.”