Mixed reactions to Malawi COVID-19 Lockdown court injunction

 

By Duncan Mlanjira 

The general public is censuring itself that they should not celebrate that the National Lockdown, which was supposed to be effected from midnight of Sunday, April 19 but has been suspended due to the injunction obtained on Friday, saying the court ruling does not mean it has invalidated the terror of COVID-19.

“Be wise,” Ambujeapali Sekeleza writes on Facebook. “I am just afraid people may start downplaying the COVID-19 prevention measures simply because of a court injunction.”

Others are applauding the court decision that this gives time for the Government to go back to the drawing board and come up with a proper plan on how to execute the Lockdown.

Brian Selemani  believes that the virus is still spreading and the public should have waited, at least, for a week of lockdown.

“If it was to be seen not to be working,” Selemani says, “then there was a reason to go to the court to ask for an injuction.”

Filed by the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), the injunction was granted on Friday by High Court Judge, Kenyatta Nyirenda — who has also ordred an inter-partie hearing within seven days for judicial review.

HRDC sought for the injunction, saying the government did not address any measures attached to the Lockdown to cushion the poor who live below the poverty threshold.

On Thursday and Friday, there had been protests in the streets of Mzuzu, Lilongwe and Blantyre by small enterprise business traders against the Lockdown.

In his post on Facebook, Felix Chimera Nyika said it is not right to have a 21-day lockdown when about “3.5 million people are going to starve because they eke out a hand-to-mouth existence”. 

“And one can understand why there have been protests in our cities against the lockdown and the Human Rights Defenders Coalition‘s court injunction against it. 

“Sure, the government must provide the necessities for the poor in such a lockdown otherwise we may have more people dying from hunger than from COVID-19 — supposing people won’t go on the street en mass to protest and thereby spread the virus even more.”

Nyika, himself a preacher, poses the question: “But what are the churches doing? Are we taking care of the poor amongst us? Have we identified the vulnerable amongst us who will starve if the lockdown happens? 

“Instead of simply pointing fingers at the executive’s reluctance to save the very people that voted them into power, let’s practice what we are preaching. Let our right doctrine (orthodoxy) be seen in our right (practice) orthopraxy.”

He ends by quoting the Bible, Galatians 2:10, that says: “Only, they asked us to remember the poor, the very thing I was eager to do.” 

Chipala cha Ayuda, on his post, said: “KEEN reminder; injunction on the lockdown has been granted to HRDC and not to COVID-19 as others are thinking.

“I hope, at the expiry of 7 days ultimatum, the DPP Government’s COVID-19 championing committee will stop taking it as a political card but instead, bring measures of combating by incorporating other concerned parties not only it’s DPP fanatics.”

While Malawi’s celebrated film producer, Charles Shemu Joyah hopes that following the injunction stopping the lockdown, there should not be the irony of a situation in that those who wanted the lockdown will now be praying that a few Malawians should “catch the virus and die so that they can shrug their arms triumphantly and say: ‘We told you!’

“But how did we ever come to this space? Why is it that being Malawian sometimes makes one want to cry?” Joyah says.

To which Mwamadi Fazili responded, saying it does not require anybody ‘wishing’, but the disease will decimate our nation — “nothing political nor poetic”.

Fazili said the country has now cultivated a culture of not wanting to talk to each other and that gives the Judiciary the “love” to show that they are the “know-it-all” — “people that make earth-shaking decisions for the country, and, not the executive. 

“So far they have quashed every decision emanating from Government, whether it is good for the citizenry or not. The same Judge Nyirenda released 4 Chinese nationals when the general populace expected him to do the opposite.

“To date, no self-acclaimed human rights grouping has condemned this, reason? The judge is one of them,” so believes Fazili.

Bert Tasosa also responded to Joyah, saying “when I heard the news, I was speechless. Actually, I am very confused by the whole thing. But I wish some people will recognise that the virus does not respond to injunctions.”

Speaking about the lockdown from the South African point of view, Kalumbu Kapisa said that country’s president Cyril Ramaphosa shut down the country for 21 days and extended it for another 14. 

“During this time, they have seen a reduce in number of infections because the virus doesn’t move — it’s the people who do.” 

Kapisa said companies were shut down and people working from home, which was possible with the adequate internet connections and power supply and running water. 

“The casualties in the lockdown were the blue collar workers who rely on public transport and street traders.  In a country like Malawi, it’s going to be impossible to isolate the country as businesses and companies are not geared up to operate remotely. 

“Our goods and services industry is very person to person and not digitized.  The isolation lockdown is necessary and will help manage the spread of the Coronavirus but the implications are huge as the economy and businesses will be hit hard. 

“The lockdown is necessary but maybe it’s the approach. I propose a gradual  approach into the lockdown,” Kapisa said.

Thoko Pakanat said the problem with Malawians is “we take everything into account of politics. Both the Government and the Opposition are taking advantage of this pandemic. 

“Let’s not value politics more other than our lives. Honestly speaking, lockdown is good but painful but life is a precious gift that God gave us and it only comes once.”

To which Peter Kossam Chikweza agrees, saying: “We don’t have much time, this is the first wave of the pandemic” and an “emergency Parliamentary sitting is needed now to solve this crisis.

“According to World Health Organisation (WHO), 300,000 will lose their lives in Africa — act now, before we start seeing body bags,” Chikweza said.

On the political thinking, Simeon Gunsaru Malunga believes the injunction has relieved the government of the ensuing undue pressure, saying the lockdown was destined to fail from the look of things. 

“However, much as they say majority rules, sometimes majority may get it all wrong. When things would get wrong, HRDC should be ready to share the blame.”

Laville Jean Richard was very blunt, saying “Malawians, your heads are stuck in the sand — don’t play with COVID-19.

“I feel sad to see that some people are against this lockdown for various reasons but once this disease gets a strong foothold in this beautiful country, there will be a lot of suffering. May God help you through these hard times ahead.”

However, Steven Ndhlazi says the main problem here is not neccessatily the lockdown but Government’s disregard to consult stakeholders and failure to put in place measures to cushion the people during the lockdown. 

He said the street protests shook and united the country and is a wake up call to the authorities.

He hinted that the injunction is a breather and gives them space to rectify their shortfalls.

Cydrick James said the lockdown itself is not enough to deal with Coronavirus but rather the government should have suggested extra precautions to restrict people’s movements as one way of preventing the spread of the virus from one location to another.

“This is a poor nation — people depend on daily small businesses to support their families. On top of all there are others in hospitals who depend on us to provide basic needs for them.”

He said the Malawi Government cannot on its own support all its citizens because the countries who executed lockdowns are rich.

“I would like the Government to come up with another plan for dealing with this problem. Otherwise instead of solving the problem, we will invite another major challenge on top of another one.”

Meanwhile, Minister of Health & Population, Jappie Mhango, who is the chairperson of the Special Cabinet Committee on COVID-19, announced in Lilongwe on Friday that the country has recorded another case making the number reach 17.

Mhango also announced that three people from Lilongwe who earlier tested positive for COVID-19 have now tested negative as confirmed by the College of Medicine in Blantyre. 

However, the Minister said a second test will be conducted as per procedure and once it is confirmed that they are still negative, then the three shall be declared to have been cured of COVID-19.

Mhango urged people to continue abiding by the social distancing and hygiene rules to flatten the curve of infection.