Civil Servants Flee as Panga-Wielding Youths Disrupt Protest in Lilongwe
Published on March 19, 2025 at 12:36 PM by Evance Kapito
Hundreds of armed individuals, wielding panga knives, wooden clubs, and hoe handles, have violently dispersed civil servants who planned to hold demonstrations in Lilongwe over salary increments.
The civil servants are protesting a 20 percent salary increase agreed upon by the Government and Civil Servants Trade Union, demanding a 44 percent raise instead. They are also opposing a 50 percent increase in transport and special allowances, insisting on a 200 percent rise.
The demonstrators had gathered at Memorial Tower in Area 18, preparing to march to Parliament to deliver their petition. However, a group of masked youths emerged from the Botanic Gardens and violently chased them away, disrupting the protest.
