HRDC accuses Malawi govt of hiding behind Covid-19 to violate citizens’ rights
Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has accused President Peter Mutharika and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)-led administration of hiding behind the deadly coronavirus (Covid-19) to violate the rights of the people.
HRDC chairperson Timothy Mtambo claimed they have it on authority that the Mutharika’s administration intends to take advantage of the Covid-19 to trample on the rights of Malawians.
Mtambo made the remarks in Lilongwe on Tuesday when the coalition addressed journalists on the new strategies they will take in their struggle to force the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah and the Commissioners to resign in light of the presidential restriction on gatherings of more than 100 people.
“Whether someone likes it or not, no one will stop change. And we are ready to bring that change because Malawians are tired of the dictatorial tendencies demonstrated by the President and Jane Ansah. We are saying Jane Ansah, get out because you have no mandate to be in that position,” he said.
However, Mtambo, who sounded emotional in all his address, announced that the coalition has suspended street protests in respect of the restriction on gatherings of more than 100 people toprevent the spread of Covid-19 into the country.
He said they are seeking guidance from their lawyers on what they can do to achieve their goal of forcing Ansah and the other Commissioners out of office.
“As HRDC, we do realise the seriousness and deadliness of Covid-19. So, we do not want to risk the lives of Malawians by taking to the streets for now. But we are not saying we have cancelled the protests,” stressed Mtambo.
The HRDC vice chairperson, Gift Trapence, said their recent arrest has given them more vigour to stand and defend citizens’ rights in the country.
Trapence urged the DPP-led regime to stop using police arrests to intimidate human rights activists, warning that government risks facing unspecified action should the practice continue.
“HRDC ilipo ndipo idzakhalapo! Kaya kuli mfiti, kaya kulibe mfiti, palibe kuopa. Tikudziwa kuti Amalawi ena anali ndi nkhawa kuti mwina chifukwa chomangidwa ndiye kuti atsogoleri a HRDC abwerera mmbuyo. Koma tikufuna tinenetse kuti palibe kubwerera mmbuyo pa nkhani yomenyera ufulu wa anthu mdziko muno. [HRDC is here to stay whether there are witches and wizards or not. We know some Malawians had fears that our recent arrest would make us relent, but we wish to assure you that we are not relenting. We are not moving an inch in our struggle for good governance and human rights],” he said.
Meanwhile, the HRDC members have asked government to come up with tangible measures for preventing COVID-19, arguing the current measures were aimed at cracking down on innocent Malawians by limiting their rights.
The members also suspected that government could be using the measures to justify theft of public resources through illegal expenditures.
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Mtambo you earn your living by what you are doing so how can you stop that? I also earn my living by what I am doing by going to work so what can stop me going to work. Wina apusapo apa. Only fools can not understand this.
Mbulizi tangozisiyani ndi chifukwa ndimanena mobwerezabwereza kuti malemu Wame said mbuli zophunzira zawononga dziko. He listens to what has befallen the world and that what governemnts are implementing its what WHO advises and not an individual! So eleave him alone ngati akufuna adzipita adzkapakana coronayo koma paja govt has said will force if one rise against this even Ramaphosa in RSA has said the same thing
Zitsuru izi zikagwere uko! ndi Joyce banda bwana wanuyo ,gule wamkulu chakwera wantchito wa JB ndi chilima munthu oti wapenga panopa mutu sukugwira .You are the people to be most thankful to APM because he does not waste time chasing useless ass holes like u..But ur time has run out bucause u are being stupidly Xposed everyday typical gule wamkulu doings.Can u really tell kids/people that gule is an animal?yet all these gule people believe gule is an animal how stupid?? a person having an animal as it’s model.kkkkk koma gule abale!
Kodi mwati iyeyu anapita ku school? OK ngati ndiwe ophunzira answer these simple questions? 1. South Africa there is STAY HOME order because of COVID 19, KU Zambia, ku Mozambique, Tanzania ndi maiko ena ambiri they have given the same order no more gathering of people more than 100. Mtamba kaya umati Mitambo maiko onsewa kulinso za campiegn ndi chisankho ngati mmene kulili ku Malawi kuno. People are crying all over the world because of this deadly COVID 19 ndiye iwe kumayankhula motumbwa kuti chani? Ukufuna kuphesa anthu eti? Ask Italy today? Ife tidzayamba ma demo COVID 19 ikazatha full stop.
All countries you have mentioned have confirmed cases. Has Malawi any confirmed case???? Your reasoning is very poor!!! You just accept anything because you don’t think!! You assume every Malawian is daft, No Please, there are some thinkers in Malawi.
Do we need to wait for a case first? Kuganiza kwabwanji uku akulu. I guess u r the one not thinking straight here.
HRDC people are dying ndithu, musatengele kupusa kwa a Malawi akamakutsatirani kuzionetsere, anthu amene aja amafunanso moyo wa thanzi, there is nobody hiding behind COVID-19 ayi ndithu Italy inkalankhulanso choncho koma pano almost 800 innocent pple are dying everyday kamba ka dyera ngati lanulo. let us wait untill God will answer. koma musatinamizepo apa, anthu akufa and ndibwino kupewa kadafale mmalawi muno. bwanji inu a HRDC simukukakamiza boma kuti ligule zinthu zoyezera ndikutetezera CORONA wavuta, ndiye KUTI HRDC imakambapo za ndale zokha basi. bwanji simukudzudzula wapanga Judge Kenyata. osatitenga a malawi opusa bwana HRDC.
Ma Cadet ali pa chintchito chachikulu. Myopia.
Mr Ntambo mwaganiza mwawu pewani mwawu chitsilu. U dnt love Malawi u jst love the money u getting behind freedom fighter u stupid idiot.
Kugwa nayo poyera-yera. Musova. Too much pompousness Mtambo and HRDC ndi acha mbwiyanu MCP and UTM. You need to know that Malawi is bigger than you.
Ana ang’ona abalalika asowa choyankhula.
Galu iwe cadet
Nde mukufuna kutiuza kuti chani?
Nokha mukuti simupanga ma demo and mukuti sanalepheleke timve ziti.
Ndipo musamati mukumenyera ufulu wa a Malawi, muziti mukumenyera ufulu wa MCP/UTM chifukwa ndi amene amakuwasapota.
stupid comment kodi a mcp ndi a utm si amalawi kuyankhula kwa bwanji uku
exactly Everything Boma likupanga ndizoyipa is tthat true????? Mwatitopetsa
Can HRDC also talk about the illegal MPs that Ansah made win in last years poll.
They are still in court in case you are not aware!!!!!
Koma chamba mwangoona kulora kuti chizilimidwa. The writings are clear on the wall that when one smoke weed doesn’t think properly. we have good example in the name of mtambo please
Wabalalika uyu musiyeni amawona ngati President ndiwopanda mphamvu
Now Malawians can see the true colors behind this “rights defenders political Gang”. How exactly have the current government hide behind this deadly Covid 19? In fact kwa ineyo ngati imodzi mwa Mzika zomwe HRDC ikuti ikumenyera ufuluzo am in agreement with what the government is doing towards Covid 19 and i encourage it to do more to protect its people. Lets not think politics at each and every point.
On the otherhand, i believe a Malawi ambiri anatseguka mmanso and kuvota is one by one. Its time to stop violating the rights of other citizens behind the word “A Malawi ambiri” and “rights defending”. VUMBULUTSANI MAWANGA ANU ENIENI HRDC. You might be fighting a good war for the blind but once they see they will regret gaining their sights.
Wayankhula aise …….What do they want the Govt to do????
This bastard and leader of gulu lauchifwamba does not know what he is talking about. All countries have adopted similar measures against Covid-19. Why should this be politicised in Malawi? Ntumbo you should hear this. Whether it is for pieces of silver from fake-accent ex-reverend nyolonyo 3lezala or Zeze, we bona fide Mslawians will not agree to the politicization of this global pandemic. You can go to hell and roast idiot.
Funny pipo these ones. Ukafuna kuwona mwini wagalu umamutibula galu, you will see the owner fuming. When these guys were arrested Chakwera weeped the most because these are his running dogs doing his bidding. Now akumana nayo Covid 19, it has stopped them in their tracks. No voting until 2025 wo.
The whole world is locking down. Wake up HRDC!
mtambo talks as if he has just taken illicit drugs. the govt has a duty to take measure to prevent covid 19 even if it means postponement of presidential election. anthu akavota bwanji akudwala, mipando mufunayo muyipeza after covid19 is defeated but not before. tachioneni mkamwa mwakudamo ngati phepete mwa chimbudzi chokumba…..
galu weniweni moti sakuona momwe akufera anthu maiko azathuwa, ndiye aziti someone is hiding behind COVID-19 mbuzi, kutiona kupusa amalawife.
What type of human rights defenders are you who do not understand that good health is a human right?
Galu wa munthu ndithu, mmene anthu akufelamu iye sakuona, ndale zamutseka mmaso
I used to think Timothy Mtambo was well educated and well informed, but I am now beginning to doubt it. If what APM has done by stopping meetings of more than 100 people is violating the rights, what would Mtambo say of Britain where people care in a total lockdown and gatherings of more than 2 people are not allowed. The same situation is in Germany, Spain Italy, are the leaders of these countries also violating people’s rights. If you were in Britain now even your press conference wouldnt have taken place. In fact APM actually waited until the MCP/UTM mgwirizano function was over on Thursday, before declaring the SOD on Friday. What would you have said had he done it on Wednesday?
The same flock of Judge Kenyatta MKandawire. HRDC would rather we perish due to corona-virus.
President Mutharika has put Malawi first by trying to make sure that we do not get the corona-virus because our country is poor and we cannot cope. We will be wiped out if this virus comes to Malawi. Just look at how developed countries are struggling to treat their people.
This is where you realise that these thugs do not wish our country well. Countries across the world have imposed a lockdown. The Olympics have just been cancelled. Malawi’s best option is to make sure we do not have the virus AT ALL in our country. The president has done the right thing.
Mtambo, have you seen what has happened to Italy and Spain because they thought they could have businesses as usual?
Mtambo court silenced you my brother. You can’t organize any protests in the country Because your bail can be revoked . We all know the gargling conditions that were imposed on you so don’t cheat people. With Coronavirus the situations has been aggravated further. APM is a god fearing leader so God is fighting for him. Mumva madzi a Mtambo.
You bastards. Can you rise up on what justice Kenyatta has exposed the whole nation to. Can’t you defend Malawians from death from vivid. Kenyatta removed people from quarantine and you are quiet about it. If you can’t just join politics full time because you are idiots.
Is this Mtambo not contradicting himself?
Ali ndi mimba uyu wasala pang’ono kuchira. koma choti adziwebe ndi choti APM has a massive support in all regions but coz their eyes are blind they cant see. And when he says that is fighting rights for Malawians he should exclude some of us who voted for APM, and whom still shall vote for him. Rather they should let the cat out of the sack and say we are fighting for the UTMCP, alliance from where we shall get positions once urshered into power. He should not blind fold us.
Mwavapo chani apa nanu mbuli yamunthu iwe. What is he contradicting? Read word by word and have English to Chichewa dictionary to help u understand what he said.
What ever, your mercenaries have lost relevance to the nation in COVID 19.
@ Hate it or take……’ Zitukwana choncho mwina mtima wako uphwa. I am proud of my education and I am able to analyse issues with a sober mind and that makes a difference between you and me. You are blinded by the pathological hate you have for APM.