The Blantyre 1992 Malawi Polytechnic Riots and the Mayhem that followed.The events that led to the riots.

The Blantyre 1992 Malawi Polytechnic Riots and the Mayhem that followed.

The events that led to the riots.

In March 1992, the Catholics Bishops read a Pastoral letter which criticised Dr Banda’s brutal leadership. At Blantyre Mission Rev Mann and Rasmussen echoed what the Bishops’ Pastoral letter said.

On 6th April 1992, Chakufwa Chihana returned to confront Dr Banda and his dictatorial government. Chihana was immediately arrested at Kamuzu International Airport and locked in prison till Oct-November that year. He spent most of his time at Chichiri Prison.

Those who actually  ignited the 1992 famous riots  were the labourers at David Whitehead who in the same month that Chihana was arrested staged a strike against working conditions. 

At that time David Whitehead was one of the biggest employers with a 24hr shift running every day. 

The Whitehead labourers tired of their grievances being ignored took it to the streets.

They walked from David Whitehead down to HHI junction where for the first time in the history of Dr Banda’s autocratic leadership an illegal roadblock was set up. 

The labourers literally closed the road with tyres, stones and Escom poles which were left idle on the road side by Escom.

For two days the labourers were at HHI junction where they came up with the famous song, “Tatopa ndi Kongeresi” They kept on chanting that song for a good part of the day. 

Their seniors at David Whitehead called them back to the office for discussions where they never reached an agreement. 

The labourers walked back to the HHI junction where they continued their protests. Soon Bata Shoe Company labourers just 100 metres from HHI junction walked out and in unison joined the David Whitehead labourers at HHI junction. 

I was on form 2 at HHI when all this was happening and witnessed this revolution.

This developed into riots when the Police tried to chase the labourers. Soon the masses joined in. 

The 1992 protests were not demonstrations, they were riots. There was no dancing like what you see nowadays. This was a serious revolution with angry faces everywhere.

You couldn't pin point who was the leader of these very angry people.

People targeted every business that was owned by the party or was connected to those they felt abused Malawians in the dictatorial leadership.

Peoples Trading Centre (PTC) which was a state business was targeted. 

Ndirande PTC was looted everyday for almost a month. Stocks arrived everyday to replace what was looted. And every evening people broke in and took whatever they wanted. 

In Chilomoni, the Kandodo Shop was also looted. Another famous PTC which was looted was the Kristwick PTC which never recovered and was never reopened again.

At HHI the students targeted the Nyambadwe PTC. At that time I was at the boarding school at HHI. Our seniors that night had a meeting at our hostel on how they would attack the Nyambadwe PTC. 

The whole hostel joined the Ndirande rioters and descended on Nyambadwe PTC. 

I missed the fun, I was down with malaria that day. My roommates came back with tins of Nido, Nestle, Recoffy, Milo and what have you. For the first time lockers in our room was full of poshy groceries. 

Thereafter,  the Police anti-riot Motor vehicle appeared from the Blantyre direction driving towards Nyambadwe  dispensing all the rioters who were looming on the road between HHI and Blantyre Girls. 

The police were throwing teargas everywhere. The HHI students fled toward the HHI Cemetery and Phoenix backyard forest.

I can’t forget that day, as I was down with Malaria I could not run way. I stayed in bed when everyone fled as I could not manage to run. 

Our hostel was next to the main road. Suddenly I heard something like a stone which broke one of the windows to our room. It dropped down on the floor inside the room. I didn’t mind it because I was in pain. 

When the students came back to the hostels, my roommates found me in bed. I heard them talking, “Our Window is broken, Ohh!! They threw a teargas inside.”

They woke me up and asked me, “Did you know that they threw a teargas can in this room?” I said, “No I just heard the sound of the window breaking as if it was hit by a stone.”

One of the senior students said, “Its just by luck that the teargas didn’t come off while you were alone here in bed.” 

Our head boy Jasper was summoned to tell the matron that they needed to get me home as soon as possible with the way things were happening. 

The Matron came to see me then left. She came back 30 minutes later amd said that, there was curfew over Blantyre. Blantyre was just like under State of Emergency. No one was allowed to move around. The Police were everywhere.

She said the next day she would tell the headmaster to draft a letter to be shown to the Police in town that I was to go home. 

That night they gave me porridge with powdered milk and butter stolen from Nyambadwe PTC.

To be continued..... We saw it happen in our time.

In the picture, the Bishops Pastoral letter which opened the can of worms in 1992.