CHRR pushes for MCP dictatorship victims compensation: ‘Malawi govt should comply’
The Center for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) has asked government to immediately comply with the Ombudsman’s order on National Compensation Tribunal to process compensation claims for people who suffered atrocities dueing one-party dictatorship rule under Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
CHRR through its media statement released on Thursday, May 14 which is Kamuzu Day in Malawi, CHRR’s acting executive director Michael Kaiyatsa further questioned MCPsilence on the matter.
The National Compensation Tribunal was an institution created by Section 137 of the 1994 constitution and was mandated to compensate who suffered or lost property during the one-party rule of MCP under founding president Kamuzu Banda before the dawn of democracy.
The victims were expected to be compensated within 10 year from 1994 to 2004 according to Section 145 of the constitution but the whole process was abused by politicians.
According to Ombudsman’s 2017 report titled ‘Malawi’s Unhealed Wounds’ only politicians were compensated leaving out 15000 victims and recommended to government that the Attorney General dictates with aggrieved parties in the amount each person should get in compensation.
Despite the Ombudsman order to settle the victims before January 31, 2018, the Peter Mutharika administration has been mum on the matter.
“CHRR is deeply saddened to note that none of these recommendations has been complied with by government or the office of the Attorney General,” reads the statement in part.
The rights organisation appeals to government and all responsible authorities to “comply with these recommendations as a matter of urgency.”
There about 24 000 people who lodged claims for compensation through the Tribunal,
CHRR statement also asks opposition MCP as a “government-in-waiting” to explainon how it will handle the matter.
Kaiyatsa said delays to process compensation for the victims of MCP dictatorship is denying them their constitutional right to justice.
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