Munawwarah Islamic Organisation says it has evidence that school kids who were protesting against the strike of their teachers were sent by other politicians to achieve their ulterior motives.
Civil servants including teachers were on strike demanding 67% salary increment from government.
However, in a Press Statement, Munawarrah Chairman Erick Jaffali said he had interviewed some of the pupils in areas of CIA, Kudya among other schools where he gathered enough evidence that other political gurus were behind the protests.
However, he refused to mention names.
“We can’t mention names but we have enough evidence. Our role is just to condemn this barbaric act of instigating little children into hostility. Young people are a vast reservoir of potentials: they constitute the majority in our society and their ability for self-reliance their enthusiasm and their creativity are resources that help ensure the future of any nation if they are well cultivated. However, by sowing the seed of hatred, vulgar language and uninvited obscenities, which were a common place at that time of their little world of demonstration, is but creating a nation of social fragmentation, decay and anarchy,” said Jaffali.
Jaffali said his organisation also fails to connect the two things – one of having teachers on strike and children’s demonstrations for not attending classes.
“…we would be forgiven to state that this was a political ploy moving towards degeneration of individuals’ dignity and humanity for self-centeredness and power hunger. How could someone be so desperate as to get themselves so low to throw their personal pride and morals to dogs?” said the chairman.
He added that what happened on that day just signals that there will be no free and fair elections come 2014 and in light of this, his organization is asking all stakeholders to avoid anything that will potentially result in chaos.
“With our eyes on the tripartite elections in 2014, this political insanity brewing under our watch has no indication to the possibility of having free, fair and non-violent elections,” he said.
He therefore asked all presidential aspirants to wait 2014.
“If anyone so desires a political limelight, between now and the tripartite elections, time is not very far. Let patience find a place in ourselves until time has come for the nation to decide its leadership.
“The term democracy has no meaning in this political despair, where one wants to assume the high office or presidency without being democratically elected; is being undemocratic to say the least.”
On February 21, Business came to a standstill in the central business district of commercial capital Blantyre when school kids from different primary schools in the city took to the streets singing anti-Joyce Banda songs.
Clad in their school uniforms, the children were running in the streets causing traffic jams while singing that “Mayi achoke!” and “Tikhoza bwanji mayeso tisakuphunzira”.
The children marched to Sanjika Palace just minutes after President Joyce Banda left the country for Equitorial Gunea for the third Africa-South America summit.
However, some quarters believes there are other people behind demonstrations in order to achieve their political ambitions saying a 5 year-old child cannot think of going into the streets.
I think Brother Sheikh Jaffar is taking the strike personal and emotions. He must understand what makes the school children to go on streets. The fact is that the government failed to lend its ear to the teachers' requests who in results abandoned the classes and in the porcess the school kids were the victims and they stood for their right. The educators used the term of "action speaks louder than words" and they used a strike as a last resort.
I'm very happy that the government has now danced their tune, it has to take this as a lesson for the future, never, never and never again this to happen at our beloved country Malawi.
Please brother Sheikh Jaffar leave politics to politicians and you put your weight on your organization. I do earnest hope that you are not representing muslim community but rather than personal interest.