Malawi govt to hire foreign investigators to probe Chasowa death – Justice Minister

Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Samuel Tembenu says government intends to hire foreign investigators to probe the death of Robert Chasowa, a Polytechnic student and political activist  found dead on campus in September 2011 at the height of anti government protests.

Tembenu said this on Thursday when Malawi Human Rights Commission officials presented the state of human rights report to President Peter Mutharika.

The Minister said the government could not rely on a commission of inquiry findings because he said the investigations were not thoroughly done.

Former president Joyce Banda set up the inquiry to find out how Chasowa died in 2011, his body was found at college campus in circumstances that were far from clear.

The inquiry, chaired by the now chief justice Andrew Nyirenda found that Chasowa was murdered by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) officials led by the then southern region governor Noel Masangwi and some police officers.

The then police publicist Willie Mwaluka however said Chasowa killed himself as he allegedly jumped from a pavement roof.

Tembenu however has not indicated when the government will hire the investigators and how much it will cost.

Some sections of the society however are accusing the government of buying time as it is not willing to act on human rights abuses and extra judicial killings by the ruling party when Bingu wa Mutharika, blood brother to President Peter Mutharika, was head of state.

On the death of Issah Njauju, the third in command at the graft busting body, the Anti Corruption Bureau, President Mutharika said the staste is doing all it can to bring those who killed him to book.

“I call the Inspector General of Police Mr Lexten Kachama every week to find out the progress on their investigations, you can check phone call logs,” he said.

Njauju was killed two years ago in Lilongwe and the police arrested two people, including a police officer who was overheard boasting at a drinking joint that he knows the killers and someone who was found with the mobie phones of the deceased.

Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) chairperson Robert Mkwezalamba said the civil society is surprised with government’s disinterest in expediting murder cases of Njaunju and Chasowa.

“The slow pace of these cases [Njaunju and Chasowa] simply tells us that someone somewhere senior enough is part and parcel of these cases,” he said.

Mkwezalamba said government needs to be reminded that it has the responsibility and duty to administer justice to everyone without fear, favour or discrimination.