A heavy police and military presence has been deployed in Ndirande, Blantyre, as vendors stage protests against the rising cost of living and worsening business conditions.

All shops and businesses in Ndirande have been forced to shut down, with demonstrators burning tyres and blocking roads with stones, disrupting movement in and out of the area.

The protest comes as President Lazarus Chakwera is in Blantyre for an official event at Mapanga Prison Training School, where he is expected to preside over a military parade for prison officers. Protesters have reportedly blocked some of the same roads the president is expected to use.

Authorities are yet to issue an official response. Developing story…More updates to follow.