Rights defenders want probe team on persons with albinism dissolved: ‘It has failed’

Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has asked the government to dissolve the Commission of Inquiry that President Peter Mutharika instituted to investigate killings and abductions of persons with albinism (PWAs), saying it has completely failed.

HRDC vice chairman Gift Trapence said the commission which has missed  the April 30 deadline for submission of findings, has failed.

“It should be dissolved. Some of the issues which the commission wanted to handle should be referred to courts,” said Trapence.

He said most of the commissioners have no technical expertise, saying they are not realistic in their approach to the issues at hand.

But the commission, chaired by retired Justice of the Supreme Court of Malawi Robert Chinangwa, has since asked the President, through Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) Chief Secretary Lloyd Muhara, to consider extending the investigation period to June 30 this year to allow them to finalise investigations and produce a report.

The commission’s secretary Brenda Vokhiwa Kapenda said in they have sent formal communication to the President for consideration.

Said Kapenda: “So far we have met different sectors such as the police, local citizenry, church leaders, politicians and civil society organisations, among others. Personally, I estimate the work done to be at 70 percent. But we still have more work to do because we are still doing inquiries.”

According to her, the commission intends to visit Tanzania and Mozambique, countries which also had similar incidences of killings and abductions, but the plan has not yet materialised because officials in those countries have not responded to the request for a meeting.

Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi (Apam) national coordinator Overstone Kondowe maintained his stand that his organisation would not participate in the process  he described as ‘not credible.’

Trapence has also told the government to immediately arrest the police officers who killed a key suspect in the abduction of a 12-year-old-boy in Dedza.

“We also want the government to make available a report on the killing of Issah Njauju. We are told the report was given to the ministry of Justice two months ago but the government is just sitting on it,” said Trapence.

But minister of Information Henry Mussa said the HRDC is being unrealistic on its demands and said there is no report on the death of the graft busting body former third in command Njauju.

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