Activists get court injunction against Mutharika on MHRC commissioners appointment

Civil society organisations (CSO) have obtained a court injunction against President Peter Mutharika swearing-in of two Malawi Human Rights Commission commissioners (MHRC), saying they were dubiously appointed.

Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) h obtained the court injunction against the swearing-in of Cecelia Kotima and Baldwin Chiyamwaka whom they say Mutharika did not follow the right procedures when appointing them.

HRDC chairman Timothy Mtambo said the law was flouted when appointing the two as commissioners of the MHRC.

“These two were selected dubiously. They were not on the original list. We want the ones who were on the original list to be appointed. We want a Malawi Human Rights Commission that is legal,” said Mtambo.

Presidential spokesperson Mgeme Kalilani said the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) was working to rectify the anomaly before the office was slapped with the court injunction.

“This is why there has not been the swearing in ceremony after the names were announced. The OPC was working on that. But now, their hands are tied because of the injunction,” said Kalilani.

The law says human rights organisations compile a list of people who should work as commissioners of MHRC from which the president selects the final names.

In this case, Kotima and Chiyamwaka were not proposed by human rights organisations as required by law.