The CCAP and Anglican churches say they are not part of the January 17 demonstrations organised by the Consumers Association of Malawi (Cama) against government’s handling of the economy.
General secretary of Livingstonia CCAP Synod Reverend Levi Nyondo said the synod does not know the objectives of the protests.
“As CCAP Synod of Livingstonia, we are not participating in the January 17 demonstrations because we are not aware of their objectives. We are very blind on the objectives, hence, we are not participating,” said Nyondo.
His counterpart for Nkhoma CCAP Synod Reverend Davidson Chifungo said they do not participate in demonstrations because they believe in contact and dialogue.
“As a church, we believe in contact and dialogue and if this fails we resort to writing pastoral letters and not demonstrations. Nkhoma Synod has its own principles that it follows and demonstrations are not the right procedure for handling issues as a church,” said Chifungo.
Blantyre CCAP Synod deputy general secretary, Clifford Nyekanyeka, said the synod was not approached by the organisers to explain the rationale for the protests.
“As Blantyre Synod, we have never taken part in demonstrations and this is our stand. We treat this as any other demonstrations and we are not part of it.
“But if our members, as individuals, would like to participate they can do so in their own right but not as a church,” he said.
Bishop Brighton Malasa, head of the Anglican Church in Malawi, said more needs to be done on dialogue before the option of protests is explored.
“As Anglican Council of Malawi, we feel dialogue would be the better solution than demonstrations, so we are not participating in the demonstrations,” said Malasa.
Cama has organised the demonstrations in protest at the economic hardships Malawians are facing as a result of the devaluation of the kwacha.
