More Malawians to rise up against impunity in 2020 – HRDC

The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has issued a stern warning that the year 2020 will see more Malawians rising up against impunity and corruption, saying Malawians are “no longer opting for passivity in the face of oppression.”

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Nyasa Times, HRDC Vice Chair Gift Trapence said while in 2019 more Malawians braved the streets in protest against political oppression but their expectations are that in 2020 more and more Malawians will rise up against impunity and corruption than ever before.

“We have seen that Malawians have been boiling with anger for too long. They were being forced to opt for passivity in the face of poverty, impunity, and political oppression.

“But the resilience of Malawians in 2019 has shown that this is changing. Malawians are reclaiming back their destiny,” said Trapence.

To that effect, Trapence said all the atrocities and oppression that Malawians have suffered in 2019 including the raping of women and girls of Msundwe will be pursued to the end until justice is seen.

“We are still shocked that the police up to now have not arrested any suspects. We will continue demanding justice,” he said.

Asked to comment on the expected political terrain in 2020, Trapence said he expects power shift from politicians to the citizens who are actually employers.

“I see a year that the citizens will rise up and demand accountability and direction of where this country is going. This is good and should have happened long time ago. Because Malawians were passive some politicians took advantage of status quo and ended up taking Malawi as their personal estates. No wonder Malawi remains one of the poorest countries in the world because we have leaders who are selfish. We have created a slave-king relationship with our politicians which I see ending in 2020. This is the year where Malawians will be freed from demigods,” he said.

The HRDC vice chair further stressed that electoral justice will be high on the organisation’s governance agenda in 2020 including the resignation of the Malawi Electoral Commission Chairperson Jane Ansah as well as the tabling of the much talked 50+1 and other related electoral reform bills.

Since the dawn of multiparty politics in Malawi, 2019 saw more and more Malawians taking to the streets for days demanding the resignation of Ansah who stands accused of mismanaging the May 21, 2019 elections through the use of correction fluid known as Tippex.