Organisers of Thursday demonstrations that aimed at pressurizing President Lazarus Chakwera to scrap off presidential immunity against prosecution, have called off the protests. 

In a dramatic twist of events, the leaders of the planned demonstrations have however delivered a petition to Lilongwe District Commissioner (DC) Lawford Palani.

In an interview, one of the organisers Wills Khama said it would be difficult to proceed with the protests amid reports of abduction of Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI) executive director Sylvester Namiwa.

“We have not actually done the way we planned because of our colleague’s abduction, our friend has been abducted yesterday.

We decided not to go on streets because we knew very well that people are very angry with that, so we just wanted to avoid violence that’s why we have come silently to surrender our petition to the DC’s office,” Khama said.

Khama however maintained that the protests will continue in other cities as planned.

He said: “About other districts, the need to proceed with demonstrations because they are no challenges that side. Those in Mzuzu and Blantyre should proceed, we have called off in Lilongwe because of Namiwa’s abduction.”

Meanwhile, business still stands at standstill in the city and there is heavy presence of Police and Malawi Defense Force (MDF) soldiers amid fears of violence and looting.