Rights groups in Malawi on Wednesday protested against the naming of a new highway after Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, saying he does not deserve the honour because of his poor human rights record at home.
The long-time Zimbabwean leader, whose country is facing increased economic hardship, is to start a four-day state visit to Malawi on Wednesday and will open the new road on Thursday.
”Based on his poor human rights record at home, we are saying no to Mugabe to be honoured in Malawi with a road. He has caused a lot of misery to the people of Zimbabwe,” said rights coalition spokesperson Rogers Newa.
Newa said his organisation is not against the state visit, but has ”a problem to honour Mugabe by naming a road after him”.
Mugabe will on Thursday cut the ribbon to the road that links the commercial capital, Blantyre, to the tea-growing region of Mulanje, 70km away.
Newa urged Mugabe to ”foster the restoration of respect for human rights, freedoms and rule of law and order”.
Rights activist Undule Mwakasungura, who heads the Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation, added there is no need to honour Mugabe this way. ”He already has a street in Lilongwe [the administrative capital] named after him,” he said.
Mwakasungura said the rights groups will be making a ”silent protest” to President Bingu wa Mutharika’s administration for not listening to public opinion on the controversial road.
He called on Mutharika to convene a special summit of heads of state from Southern Africa to ”urgently discuss the deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe”.
”There is a crisis in Zimbabwe. The Southern African Development Community should sit down and see how Zimbabwe can be rescued … The problems in Zimbabwe have affected other neighbouring countries,” he said.
Mwakasungura said the Malawi leader should also encourage Mugabe to initiate dialogue with the opposition and civil society.
Zimbabwe has the highest inflation rate in the world, at more than 900%, and following radical economic and land reforms imposed under Mugabe has been locked in a downward spiral into poverty and hunger.
Mugabe will be hosted at a banquet by Mutharika at the state house in Lilongwe on Wednesday night. He is due to depart on Saturday. — Sapa-AFP