The protest was dispersed just an hour before President Bakili Muluzi was due to open a two-day consultative group meeting of Malawi and its western donors. Two protesters were arrested, according to co-organizer Shyley Kondowe, a human rights activist. The demonstrators carried placards denouncing the two institutions, which back tough economic reforms for the impoverished southern African state. He said however that the protesters got across their message because Muluzi read their placards as he passed them on his way to open the conference at the 100 million dollar State House built by former dictator Kamuzu Banda.
SAPs are structural adjustment programmes.
Muluzi, who has in the past criticized World Bank and IMF policies for Malawi's economic ills, ironically defended the policies of the two institutions on Monday.