Malawi Law Society defends police over HRDC arrests
Malawi Law Society (MLS) president Burton Chidongondo Mhango has backed the Police action in arresting two leaders of the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), Gift Trapence and MacDonald Sembereka, saying by declaring their plan publicly to seal State Residencesm which are protected, the activists flouted laws of the land.
HRDC and others, were planning a “citizen’s electoral justice march” to the State House on 25 March aimed to pressure President Peter Mutharika to sign election reforms bills passed by parliament.
Law Society president said being human rights activists does not mean they are above the law, saying they need “not to be lawless in their conduct.”
Said Mhango: “An attempt ti commit an offence is a crime and planning can lead to committing an offence. If someone was planning to seal State House that was reason enough to be picked.”
Since last year’s May election results, the HRDC has been organizing protests, which have sometimes turned violent.
National Police spokesperson James Kadadzera said the plan amounted to incitement for unauthorized assembly.
“Basically, the charge is coming under Section 124 of the Penal Code that is of inciting people to seal state residences. In fact, we have in custody the two individuals. We will take them to court anytime soon,” he said.
Kadadzera said police were also looking for HRDC chairperson Timothy Mtambo who remains “on the run.”
Parliament in February passed the electoral reforms bills, which paves the way for fresh elections after the constitutional court nullified the May polls.
The court cited massive irregularities in the vote, which saw Mutharika re-elected.
The electoral bills propose a date for fresh elections and procedures to follow in case of runoffs.
Malawi’s constitution gives the president 21 days to sign the bills into law. But, some activists, like the HRDC, and opposition parties worry Mutharika will drag out the process.
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uyuso nde galu weniweni
My friend Burton, are you speaking for yourself or MLS? Which law are you applying? Is arresting of Human Rights activist a sensible thing anywhere in the world? Please keep your partisan views to yourself
Mr chidongondo Mhango tell Munthalika to fire MEC commissioners first as directed by Malawians through the parliament appointment committee.why is he playing games with the owners of the land.Dpp must fall.
My friend Burton are you speaking for yourself or for MLS? Which law are you applying. It is true that someone can go through education without being educated. We know kuti anakudyetsani Banzi mungokhala chete apa
These thugs are not above the law. Tazunzika pakwana. We have list our property .Let them go to mangichr Alaina nyekwe
Fighting for true social justice and equality is not a risk-free business. When Late Chakufwa Chihana came from Zambia to challenge ‘Ngwazi Ya Myaya’s’ one party system, many people thought he was crazy, and ‘death’ by crocodile’s feed had a high probability. Who said freedom fighting was child’s play anyway? The DPP was slowly but surely strangling the social justice system and democratic freedoms of the nation by its attempt to ‘state’ capture most if not all institutions that form the general body of a true democratic society. One of the most important of such institutions is THE MALAWI POLICE SERVICE. Its total capture by DPP means that a selected section of society are entitled to the rare privilege of living above the law, do not have to obey the laws of the country, they cannot be arrested even if they commit serious crimes like being master-minders of the ‘alibino human parts’ trading. Clearly, when you commit a crime but you are a staunch DPP supporter, the MPS will not dare to institute criminal investigations against, let alone dare to arrest you. This is stinking social injustice and freedom fighters are now being arrested for fighting it!
You are a useless lawyer Mhango! and it is sad you speak for an institution of learned persons! If every proclamation can be considered a crime how many times would your tinpot dictator Mutharika have contravened the law??!!!
He is not useless being human rights does not mean bringing lawlessness in the land. Mtambo and his colleagues why dont they go and pressurize MPs to honour section 64 and 65? Dont you see that the human rights are being violated by these greedy MPs? Even Chakwera himself why does not he support this so that if MP crosses the floor should not go to court for an injunction and that if Mp fails to deliver according to people’s expectations should be recalled to his constitutents? Zaumbuli zokhazokha zomwe muchita apa mudziwoneka ngati ndinu zenizeni dza ziiiiii!
MLS is taliking rubbish, Muntharika as a primary custodian of our country’s constitution and…. is obliged by the same to sign and protect the laws of the land and its people not for any political party even his own. Nalikukuti is failing to sign the laws of the land to save face and interest of his political party which is breaking the law too, then why MLS didn’t advise its clown to do so in the first place to avert this crisis?
We need more of these organisations to speak up against these violent people from HRDC, MCP to UTM
Mhango is not a spokesperson of MLS. Rather he is a cadet and a brother to bwana Mhango anali mu boma aja ndipo analephera kuwina mpando kwawo.
Mtambo should face the law.
Nalikukuti iwe
Malawi Law Society has done the most sensible thing. THANKS for putting your voice on this.
Ambuyanu pita asiyinire nsanga osamangosokosa pa nsonkhano
koma ndiwe wamoyo iwe?
Burton Mhango, not surprising, we know you are a DPP cadet. May 19 is around the corner.
MLS is right and we commend them for speaking up.
Well done MLS. You have shown that you stand for justice.
HRDC closes MEC! HRDC to close Airports and Borders! HRDC to close State House! Next it will be HRDC closes Malawi Police, HRDC closes Parliament and then HRDC closes Malawi. kikikiki. O Chakwera, samalani, Mukamaweta galu ndi kumamusutitsa chamba kuti akhale waukali, tsiku Linda azakulumani inu nomwe.
Chitsilunso nawe iwe. Did they commit any crime? Tamangodya za agogo omwewo. You are on borrowed time.
Ralph we know you comment a lot on Nyasa times so watch out you are next to go in for good. You evil bastard. HIV positive dog
Not Wise words by the MLS.
Lock away Ralph kasambara and throw away the keys, this bastard had killed many school girls with cocaine and HIV
Next to go in is Ralph Kasambara! This guy is the worse than HRDC thugs! Police please do your job, how is it possible a convicted criminal gets to roam freely?????????????
What do you expect from him being a brother to Mhango the lawyer who represented Peter on the previous case.
Koma ndiye, nangasi madala awone kuti nawonso alankhulako. Chonsenco MLS ili ndi owalankhulira. Olemba nkhaniyi, pakuti nayenso ndi cadet, otherwise akanati, cadet Burton Mhango, who happens to be a relative to Munthalika’s lawyer Mhango has said ……….
This is not the Law Society of the old. Please stand with the masses like the women lawyers. May be because they are women our mothers always objective.
No need to stand up for HRDC thugs.
What do you expect from a pro DPP man who doubled as AG and DPP legal counsel?
Well said Law Society of Malawi Lawlessness is indeed unacceptable
This so-called ‘Law’ Society.
They neglect to mention when airports and so on suddenly became ‘protected places’ .
This was done in response to plans for protests against the unreliable elections last year.
A law passed specifically to inhibit Malawians Democratic right to protest.
The justification was the ‘harm to the economy.’
I suppose perhaps the Malawi Law Society is obliged to defend any and every law on the books.
But history and public opinion will judge such things differently.
What do you expect from a brother to Charles Mhango….the Law Society is always partisan
A SELL OUT. JUDAS ASCARIOT,
Mhango or whatever you call yourself be very sorry for yourself of what remains of you after Malawi has moved to the light. You shall remain in darknesd with your fellow satanic cohorts.
No need for sorry. HRDC ikutionongera ma business.
Unbiased legal opinions come from Chancellor College, the likes of Prof. Kamchedzera & the others give us the real opinion not this compromised MLS.
In 1974 i was arrested in Mzuzu on political charges. I was driven through the night to Zomba. That was in 1974. There were no idiots like Burton Mhango.There was no ‘pain’.
Ambali yotsutsa akaphwanya lamulo lamdziko KuLiving Stonia Univesity kumakhala kulizii Kodi George Phiri timuike gululiti Woonekelatsa tsankho,opanda nzelu kapena kuphunzila kwake ndikwambali imodzi
Malawians do not want you guys and we do not need MLS in this country we are so tired of you ndi achemwali akowo
A burto wa ndi wa dpp because the man who termed him is a dpp guy. U dindo wa mls wawakulira kwambiri and surely many lawyers adakana because have other things to do. Look at him very closely; both the lady and him sided with govt during the Lilongwe case and supported Kaphale because of Charles but lets wait and see .
This guy is a brother to Jappi Mhango the health minister so What would you expect from him??? pro-DPP of course. He is one of the cadets!!!!!!
Burton palibe cha nzeru ungatiuze,we already know which side your balls lean to.
If threats to close State residences is a crime because these are protected areas, then I think threat to murder is more serious a crime, therefore the Law Society should also ask the Malawi Police Service to take into custody to investigate the DPP officals who publicly threatened the lives of HRDC members.
These days we only expect something sensible from Women Lawyers Association …Bungee iriri Linali kale mkuona ma biggy aja Achina Mwiza Nkhata ndi anzao anazitaya….What else do expect from CADETs ….Mkuona ku ConCourt mumkangoti boobooboo…Kuti Kodi muti chani?
This guy Burton Mhango is a pro DPP.Even during Concourt he showed his side.
Lego, you should commend MLS for standing up for justice.
MLS we already discredited you on the elections case, so dont bother giving us your opinions. We dont want to hear from you
But you want to hear from Garton Kamchedzera
Tiyeni nazoni ife tizingomvera – watsala winayo – politics in Malawi unfolding slowly and we are learning alot…..kkkkkkk!!!
He wears the blue color
Burton Mhango is a cadet
law society under Burton Mhango is useless palibe chanzeru
Chifukwa wanena zosemphana ndizomwe ukufuna iweyo?
Ngati pa goat ya ma president a mabungwe ena Mmalawi muno ndi chimenechi chi cadet cha Law Party. A Burton you are still young musaononge tsogolo la profession yanu. Nyengo zimasintha and kunja kumachanso.