3 February 2012
An ongoing fuel and foreign exchange crisis in Malawi, coupled with ever- increasing living costs, are causing severe tensions throughout the country.
In January, the capital city of Lilongwe was ablaze due to a running battle between street vendors and the police. A few weeks ago, the street vendors made the headlines again, this time over reports that conservatives, unhappy with the way women were dressing, were stripping women naked if they were wearing trousers or short skirts.
Since Malawi is a generally peaceful country these disturbing incidents are especially disconcerting. Vincent Moyo, Tearfund’s Country representative in Malawi, believes the simmering tensions are related to the ongoing deteriorating standards of living. He says, ‘People are being laid off from their jobs and their savings are losing value every day because of the lack of forex [the foreign currency exchange market].’
The worsening fuel crisis means around 50 per cent of vehicles return from the petrol station empty, after a full day of queuing. Everyday items have borne the brunt of the economic uncertainty; the price of bread has more than doubled since January 2011 and commodities are also very expensive.
With no change forthcoming on the fiscal horizon, there are worries the situation in Malawi is likely to get worse.
- Please pray for women who feel vulnerable leaving their homes in the current situation. Pray they once again will feel safe in their cities and that the police will adequately deal with those wanting to cause them harm.
- Pray that the circumstances in Malawi will improve - for strength for those affected by the situation, that they may be able to put their trust in God in the hard times ahead. Heavy flooding in the past week has resulted in the displacement of over 5,000 people. Pray that timely support should be provided to them so that disease outbreaks and loss of lives can be averted.
- Give thanks that God has placed his workers where he feels they can make the most difference. Pray for wisdom and guidance for the Tearfund partners as they try to do God’s will with difficult decisions ahead.
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