CSOs threaten legal action against character assasination

Malawi’s Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has warned that it will not hesitate but to drag to court anyone trying to tarnish the image of the organisation or any of its members for legal action.

This comes barely few days after a picture went viral on social media capturing HRDC Chairman Timothy Mtambo at one of the local airports about to board a plane and the caption indicated he was going abroad to enjoy the money he received from opposition political parties as a thank you for organising the July 21 ant-government demonstrations.

The national wide March against the Peter Mutharika leadership was a cry from Malawians led by Civil Society groupings against the impunity and corruption following a failure by government to address concerns raised in a petition delivered on April 27 this year as well as some new demands.

HRDC Vice Chairperson Gift Trapence alleges the propaganda against his organisation and its members is coming from members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).

“We have seen a lot of propaganda coming from DPP,” said Trapence.

On flying abroad, Trapence said: “Our work allows us to travel abroad and we do not travel because of demonstrations. We can’t allow that behaviour of tarnishing other peoples image to continue and we will take legal action against anyone trying to tarnish the image of our organisation or any of our members.”

Nyasa Times understands that the picture that went viral on social media captured Mtambo on his trip to South Africa to attend a Southern Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (SAHRDN).

Meanwhile, Mtambo himself through a post on social media has advised the propagandists not to waste their time fighting Human Rights Defenders but rather focus on implementing people’s petitions.

Among the motive behind the recent September 21 protests were theft of K1.9 Billion worth of fuel at Electricity Supply Corperation of Malawi (ESCOM), K145 Million Police Food Ration Scam, persistent blackout and worsening of corruption.