Malawi rejects US rights report: ‘Based on incorrect information’
Malawi government has denounced as incorrect a recent Country Report on Human Rights Practices published by the US State Department last week which accused Malawi on human rights abuse as evidenced by, among many cases, government’s failure to bring to justice police officers who were charged with manslaughter in July 2011 anti-government demonstration and on Robert Chasowa’s death.
Solicitor General, Janet Chikaya Banda, rejected the American report as being founded upon “incorrect information”.
The report, which is based on the occurrences of 2014, and was posted on Malawi’s US Embassy website on Friday, June 26, states that police arbitrarily shot and killed innocent people in the course of their work mostly because of indiscipline and poor training.
The US report noted that Police officers arrested in connection with the 2011 deaths of anti-government demonstrators remained free on bail.
The report also faults Malawi government’s government’s failure to bring to justice regime agents who killed university student activist Robert Chasowa.
“By year’s end, a trial date was not yet set for eight police officers arrested in the 2011 death of student activist Robert Chasowa, and they remained free on bail,” reads the report in part.
But the Solicitor General said some of the contents in the report about Malawi are unsubstantiated and false.
Banda said the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) ordered another investigation to be conducted on Chasowa’s death because the first one was not properly done.
“The earlier investigation was not properly done, it had a lot of loopholes and after going through it, the DPP ordered another thorough investigations that were going to seal those loopholes because no one wants to go to court with a case they are going to lose,” Banda said, as quoted by local press.
According to the report, police were inefficient, poorly trained and corrupt as evidenced by involvement of Malawi Defence Force (MDF) for support in internal security although the latter’s responsibility is external security. It also notes impunity as another problem.
The US report also noted that although an independent police complaints commission is provided for by law, it was not yet established by year’s end.
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Like it or not u r killers God will punish u
who did you send to jail if you say the report is unfounded? mmangokhalira kutsutsa zinthu zooms nkani mukumakanika kulipira ma salary awanthu
Chasowa is indisputable evidence of cruelty of Malawians. No one is actively protesting the lack of justice on the matter. No government office has been taken to account for the tardiness or inaction on the justication of the matter. This is cruelty of a society. It is abuse of human rights by the government.
Poor solicitor general. She is even failing to put an argument to well published US report.
Word of advice, ‘don’t say things unprofessionally’.
Malawians r ebo 2 c things clearly.
Much as i may not like the failed president of Impoverished of Malawi,Pitala mbyofyo mbyofo wamutharika,its hypocritical for US that Police are shooting ordinary people in Malawi,poor human rights and other ill treatment from the police as a total lie.Police have always shot hardcore criminals who have been armed most of the time and shooting back to the police.We have watched news of white policemen killing young men as young as 18 but they have never condemned their police as unprofessional.US has a lot of double standards when dealing with foreign issues.They like acting holier while they have alot of… Read more »
Let the Americans look into their own issues like killing of black people like dogs in their country. They are shameless producing a report as if they doing well.We know by now that American had money but not peace in the world, in American black life doesn’t matter but whites.Go to hell we don’t theoretical rights but practical ones.We are better than them on human rights issues in Malawi.
Malawians, Let us not be stupidly and unreasonably emotional ……… The whole of the US Report is TRUE…..the Solicitor General is defending the wrong horse. Zochititsa manyazi kwambiri ndithu! Tiyeni tivomereze, mnzako akamakutsutsa mowona ngati apa…….vomereza.
Clement most of the time I do accuse you for your short-sights over national issues. There is no body who is refusing that Chasowa was murdered . Remember this just medical report which sometimes works on assumptions, I am a doctor I myself. Anyway lets take the medical report to a true picture of the murder, still there is a question of who killed Chasowa as there is no tangible evidence on the ground.Its out of frustration to mention DPP as responsible without the evidence.No body was caught red handed at all. Its just because of his wider mouth as… Read more »
It is really shameful for a highly qualified professional such as Dr Janet Banda to speak in these terms. The USA Report is accurate and true. Of course Dr Janet Banda has to defend a DPP Govt and Chasowa and others were killed during the terrible rule of the DPP govt in 2011.
Let US state department set her house in order before they point a finger on Malawi. We have seen their well trained police officers killing young an armed black people and not perscuting the police. Black people are suffering everyday in the hands of the so called well trained police, and nothing is happening. Before America advises Malawi, let them set their house in order. Are the people being killed and harassed by their police of no value to them. What is human right for God’s sake!