HRDC presses ahead with Mathanga protests despite NGO ban

Malawi’s Human Rights Defenders Coalition is refusing to back down, insisting that its demonstrations demanding the resignation of Energy Minister Jean Mathanga will go ahead on November 17 despite losing its status as a registered NGO.

HRDC chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa confirmed the planned protests would take place, saying the coalition had seen the regulator’s move coming.

“We saw it coming as there have been several efforts to frustrate our efforts. But we are consulting our lawyers,” he said.

The coalition’s protests will be staged in Lilongwe, Blantyre, Zomba and Mzuzu.

Its statement earlier said Malawians “deserve reliable fuel, electricity and accountable leadership,” and accused the minister of failing to keep her promise that fuel supplies would stabilise.

The NGO Regulatory Authority deregistered HRDC over missing audited accounts and annual returns for 2023, 2024 and 2025, and over unreported board changes, effective November 3.

Kaiyatsa said the decision would not stop the group operating as a civil society organisation, adding: “We should not mix issues. HRDC will continue as a civil society organisation to represent Malawians, including exercising its freedom of association and assembly.”

The regulator said each failure was an independent ground for deregistration under the NGO Act, and that HRDC had been granted an extension to July 31, 2026 to file its returns.

It also rejected the group’s claim that it had no funding in 2024.

Kaiyatsa said the group would challenge the decision in court, while Dr Boniface Dulani, a University of Malawi political scientist, said the law should take its course if HRDC had failed to meet its obligations, but regretted losing an organisation he described as significant to the country’s civic landscape.

Government has yet to publicly respond to the protest plans.