CSOs threaten to sue govt over closure of Malawi College of Health Science

Civil Society organizations that are concerned with education in the country have threatened to seek court intervention if Malawi College of Health Sciences is not opened by August 12, 2019.

Malawi College of Health Sciences campuses in Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Blantyre were closed were closed 8 months ago ue to a strike by the college’s lecturers.

The Lecturers are demanding a 45 percent pay hike but the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) under President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has refused to bow down to the demands.

Eerier this week, government through Ministry of Education ordered the Lecturers to return to work or risk being fired.

Speaking during a media briefing held in the capital Lilongwe, facilitated by Youth and society as well as Civil Society Education Coalition (Csec) in Lilongwe, CSEC Executive Director Benedicto Kondowe urged government to reopen the college by Friday or face lawsuit.

“We are of the view that if the dialogue or meetings fail to yield anything, we will call parents, students and the staff to meet the president failure of which we will therefore go to court because the Constitution of this country gives that power,” he said.

On his part, Malawi College of Health Sciences Students Union President Ken Bond applauded the CSOs for intervening on the matter.

Bond said the closure of the college has affected the students greatly as some are on the verge of losing sponsorship.

Meanwhile government is yet to respond to the matter.