CSOs pull out of July 20 commemorations

Civil society organisations (CSOs) who were leading the July 20 victims’ commemorations are this year not leading the process.

Families of the victims said they approached the CSO leaders for guidance on this year’s commemorations, but the leaders told them they were not taking part. The development has forced the families to proceed with the commemorations without the CSOs.

The families have expressed disappointment over the conduct of the CSOs, saying they lost their loved ones because of the demonstrations organised by the same CSOs.

In an interview on Wednesday, the families’ spokesperson Mercy Mfune said they were surprised to hear that CSOs will not be part of the organising team this year.

“The answer we got was that they are busy. If they are busy, is it not possible to delegate? May be because the families were compensated and they think they are done with us,” she said.

Livingstonia Synod Church and Society programme director Moses Mkandawire, who has been coordinating the event, said they are not dumping the initiative but they have been tied up with coordinating the late Levi Ziliro Mumbas’s memorial expected to take place in November.

He said Mumba played a great role in the development of this country, but his role has been neglected by authorities and Malawi as a whole.