ACTION Support Centre (ASC) Peacebuilders' Blog

Visiting the bereft

What do you say to a Mother who sits in appalling squalor, barely a stone's throw away from the Blantyre City Centre, when she raises tear filled eyes and asks why the Police had shot her 13 year old son, who had just enrolled in Std. 5 and upon whom she had invested so much hope? Could this be the loathsome, hardened 'looter' and 'rioter' that the Police use to justify their 'shoot to kill'' attitude?

This was the theme of the day which started on Thurday 11th August 2011 @ 9am - IPI offices in Chichiri, Blantyre where a multivarious group comprising of 24 Civil Society Activists, Politicians, Trade Unionists, Clergy, Vendors, Academia and ordinary Malawians had gathered to pay respects to the families who had lost loved ones or whose members had suffered gunshot wounds afflicted by Police bullets during the aftermath of the historic demonstration that took place on the 20th July 2011.

After an initial consultative meeting to finalise the structure of the day to come, we set off in a convoy of 5 vehicles toward the first stop in Ndirande where the family mourned the death of their breadwinner, a tyre second hand seller who used to ply his trade on the pavement - approx 1 Km from the PTC shop that was alleged to been targetted by the so called looters.

We heard about a s/hand tyre seller who was only trying to save his precious stock from being burnt to create road obstruction by persons unknown, when the Police who were guarding the PTC shop lower down the street opened fire with live ammunition and killed him instantly. No one could tell us the identity of the Policeman who had fired the fatal shot. We gave the grieving womenfolk a pack of assorted food items, an envelope containing some cash and crept away feeling dismayed by our inability to do more for them.

Our next stop took us through winding narrow alleyways, with open sewers and drains to a makeshift mud brick hovel which boasted a roof made of cartons and plastic sheets - tattered and torn in many places, that could barely afford any cover during inclement weather. There, we heard about a 13 year child standing on the threshold of his life - only to have it snatched away by an uncaring police bullet. The young lad was a hard worker with ambition to rise above his humble beginnings which would now never be realised and the hopes of the entire family spluttered and died like a candle in a tempestuous turbulence that they could not withstand nor understand! Once again, we uttered the usual pithy phrases of condolence, handed over the food pack and envelope and emerged with a dire pall of gloom threatening to diminish the bright sunlight!

Final stop - QECH Ward 5A @ 12 noon. We filed through the interminable corridors, confident that we wouldn't encounter any difficulties since we were within visiting hours, but we were mistaken, for the doors to the ward were firmly shut and guardians were waiting patiently in a long queue that snaked for a considerable distance down the corridors. Upon enquiry, we were told that the Doctors were busy treating the patients and did not wish any disturbance in the ward - so we settled down to wait....and wait.....and wait. Finally my patience ran out 45 minutes later, I went to the doors and demanded further explanation from the doorman who seemed very put out at having to cope with this irate mwenye who was stirring up the normally placid guardians. He reluctantly agreed to let me in to intercede with the Doctors and, after a brief consultation with them, the doors were opened wide to let in a flod of guardians.

We visited three patients with terrible injuries - one had the stench of gangrene lingering and it was obvious that he would soon require major amputative surgery. The stories had the same echoing similarity - of going about the normal day's work with some excitement in the air due to demonstrations that were going on downtown (worlds apart), increased security presence on the streets and shots fired with little or no justification. We went through the same motions - foodpacks + envelopes and left feeling shocked and helpless against such human suffering inflicted with such cavalier impunity by uncaring enforcers who had been mandated to shoot to kill by no less a personage than the very Head of State!

Thus ended this harrowing day - amidst a stunned silence in a baking hot car interior with each person privy to their own thoughts - which were, I dare say, worth far more than the proverbial penny!

Which just goes to show - you can't trust anyone with power these days!

Our profound gratitude goes to all those well-wishers who contributed in cash, kind, or presence to make this day happen!

 

Rafiq Hajat

12^th August 2011