Striking bus drivers trickle back to work as Malawi President lashes them

Blantyre, Malawi - President Bingu Wa Mutharika of Malawi has warned mi ni-bus operators in the country's cities his government would not be intimidated by strike actions to allow any section of the society break laws.

Speaking while inaugurating a new road in the central district of Ntchisi, Pre sident Mutharika said it was absurd for mini-bus operators to stage a strike sin c e nobody employed them to operate mini-buses.

"You mini-bus operators pack people as if you are carrying sweet potatoes; you don't care for people's lives. Many people are dying on our roads," he said in M alawi's lingual franca, Chichewa, amid applause from his audience.

"Government would not allow a situation where people will continue dying simpl y because you want to make money. No! It won't happen."

Mini-bus operators took their buses off the roads to protest a government dire ctive that mini-buses should be carrying three passengers per row, instead of th e current four.

Government said it made the directive because of high number of accidents invo lving mini-buses, which according to statistics, shows at least 20 per cent of a ll fatal accidents in Malawi involve mini-buses.

President Mutharika said his government would enforce laws that protect people 's lives and will deal decisively with anyone who defies such laws.

"I want to warn mini-bus owners that if in the past you were breaking the laws and nothing was happening, that time is over,"he said.

Meanwhile, mini-buses have slowly begun getting back on the roads.

According to Christopher Chisesele, president of the Mini-bus Owners Associati on of Malawi, the mini-bus operators have decided to relax the strike action in o rder to allow further negotiations with government.

"Our members want to reach an amicable settlement with government," he said.

But Transport Minister Henry Mussa said government was only implementing the c ountry's laws."We are only enforcing the laws," he said.

Commuters were Thursday forced to hoof it all the way to the office while othe rs clambered on top of open trucks to their destinations.