The planned demonstration organised today in Lilongwe has failed to take off following a High Court injunction, stopping the organisers from going ahead with their plan, granted in the evening on Tuesday evening.
There is heavy security presence as despite the injunction a few people still started assembling at the Lilongwe Community Ground ready for the demonstrations.
A grouping of individuals trading under the banner Human Rights Ambassadors were planning to hold demos in the capital city against what they are calling selective Administration of justice by the country’s judiciary system.
Among others the grouping is arguing that people from the southern region especially from the Lomwe belt are being targeted by the judiciary.
But in a turn of events high court Judge Simon Mdeza granted the injunction to some four concerned citizens pending an inter-parte hearing.
In his restraining order Judge Mdeza has observed that there is need for the organizers of the demos to clearly state out who will be held responsible in the event that the demos turn violent and property is destroyed as argued by the claimants.
The judge has also observed that there is need for the clear identity on who is organising the demos.
But despite the High court granting the restraining order business has been affected in the capital city as the order has just been granted few hours before commencement of the planned demos.
A visit around Lilongwe business center this morning has established that armed Malawi Defence Force soldiers with armoured vehicles have been deployed around the central business district.
For instance the soldiers have mounted a barricade just outside the gate of Malawi Police Service C-Company division which is regarded as the main entrance into the central business district.
Business has been slowed down within the city as many people have opted to stay home.
Some eye witnesses have indicated that some of the demonstrators have been ferried in truckloads from as far as Phalombe District and some parts of the southern region.
This has raised suspicions that some opposition politicians are bankrolling the demonstrations for their own political goals and not a genuine concern to the plight of Malawians.
