Malawi President cancels Public Engagements amid Protests

Malawi has announced that President Lazarus Chakwera has cancelled all public engagements “in order to attend to emerging national and regional matters.”

The government statement doesn’t explain what those matters are, but these cancellation comes amid protests in the country over the high costs of living and alleged government corruption.

President Chakwera was elected last year on a promise to reform.

In recent days, he has branded as “Afrophobia” the travel bans on southern African countries by the US and other nations.

Among the cancelled events Mr. Chakwera was to preside over are the commemoration of Malawi police day on Tuesday, and world aids day on Wednesday.

BBC /Shakirat Sadiq