State rights body MHRC calls for protests ceasefire: Analyst says ‘high level of hypocrisy’
Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has made a frantic plea to Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) to call off the scheduled by-weekly protests, saying they are turning violent.
MHRC executive director David Nungu says the protests will negatively affect the country’s economy and greater suffering of the people.
“These negative effects could be avoided if peaceful means of resolving the current electoral disputes were applied.
“This being the case, the commission appeals to the organisers of the demonstrations, the HRDC, to consider calling off the demonstrations for now and allow for a reflection meeting with the commission,” says the statement from the taxpayer-funded human rights watchdog made available to Nyasa Times.
Nungu says in the statement that while the commission does not want to appear to limit the enjoyment of the right to demonstrate, it nevertheless has a duty to ensure the protection of and respect for all other equally important rights as guaranteed by the Republican Constitution.
“The commission believes this is also in the interest of HRDC. Therefore, the reflection meeting would enable the HRDC and the commission to reach a common position on the application of this duty,” says the MHRC statement.
The commission is also asking the leadership of all political parties to embrace peace in all their public utterances.
“It has been greatly worrisome that a few leaders still use hate and provocative speech during the post-election political meetings when peace is what the nation needs,” says Nungu in the statement.
He said the commission would soon be announcing its peace initiative in which all stakeholders and good meaning Malawians would be invited to participate.
The Constitution mandates MHRC to protect and investigate violations of human rights or any other law.
Commenting on the statement by MHRC, governance expert and commentator Makhumbo Munthali told Nyasa Times that statement smacks” a high level of hypocrisy.”
He said: “ It’s selective and biased assessment or analysis of the post-election demonstrations organised by HRDC [and] falls short of a statement issued by a national independent human rights body.
“ If truth be told, it’s like a DPP or State House press statement selectively condemning violence under the guise of promoting peace.”
Munthali pointed out that, MHRC statement has completely paid a blind eye to the violence committed by ruling DPP cadets as well as the Police’s unprofessional conduct in firing teargas at MCP headquarters.
“ It has further failed to condemn the unwarranted capture of Blantyre City Council by the DPP in blocking CSOs of exercising their right to demonstration yet the July 20, 2011 demos Commission of Inquiry report bemoaned such conduct.
“ The MHRC report has not condemned the MCP Blantyre office arson. Most importantly, the Report has said nothing about the need to balance between calls for peace or dialogue and the need to ensure there is accountability or justice on what happened on May 20, 2011.”
Munthali observed that MHRC is only concerned with peace at the expense of establishing the truth on what transpired on the elections
“As someone with human rights background, MHRC statement is wanting in several aspects in as far as Human Rights protection and promotion is concerned, and I am afraid this might the worst and most embarrassing statement I have read from the Commission in recent times,” he added.
In April this year, President Peter Mutharika appointed new commissioners for MHRC. He retained media consultant Baldwin Chiyamwaka and Bertha Sefu and roped in law don Dr Sunduzwayo Madise, Stella Twea, Scader Louis, the Reverend Cecilia Kotima and former Association of Persons with Albinism in Malawi (Apam) president Boniface Massah.
The seven will be joined by Law Commissioner Rosemary Kanyuka and Ombudsman Martha Chizuma as ex-officio members who will complete the line-up.
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M’nyumba moti akuba abamo mumakhala mtendere agalu inu a DPP u champion peace pamene mukungotibera ndalama zathu tsiku ndi tsiku.
There can never be peace without justice (Peter Tosh). You call for peace and yet you practice injustice what a nonsense
Thieves should not be allowed to rule Malawi
Then why are you allowing MCP to exist after they have killed all those innocent uncles through crocodiles
The only economic growth I have witnessed under Mutharika Banana Republic is raising tax!.
This country panopa it does not require a civilian government. I think we need a Junta Government. I dont why Army General Nundwe is taking too long. I am tired with these stuoid and tribalistic charlatans of politicians.H
Tationetseni nkhope ya Makhumbo Munthali, tione kuti amaoneka bwanji, Atumbukawa atitopetsa tsopano mxiewww
Ndiye poti Nungu ndi mmodzi mwa Atumbukawo, muti bwa, agalu inu?
Foolish Human Rights Commission. Very stupid Commission.
Who is Khumbo Munthali? A compromised person and most of the commentators here are from the side of the Violence. Most of you writing in support of violence dont know what MHRC is trying to put across, Malawi is a peaceful Democratic Society, we dont have to abuse the peace because of the rights, we have a lot to protect. For you and me to be able to sit on our computers to write its because there is peace and we can not sit around watch the heartless people trying to incite a tribal war. At all cost Mr Mtambo must be stopped, he is not a Politician but is being used by Politicians to cause problems. Mr Mtambo has no constituency to represent, has no mandate apart from representing the GAYS and Lesbians in his Individual capacity supported by Donors. He has a hatred for Southerners and his acts are based on his hatred towards other people and Politicians are Manipulating him to fight for their cause. When people are trying to a engage him it doesnt mean they are weak but they want to give peace a Chance. Some of you writing nosense here must appreciate and understand. Any tribal war erupting in the Country will make most of you will loose whatever you have sweated for in years. If people bring in an issue of negotiations and peace they are trying to bring sanity in our country and attacking them is trying to be heartless not all of them have connections or receive buns from Politicians, they are people who wants to advance peace. The Government has everything it takes to stop Mr Mtambo, he is not being feared as some of you think. He is being given a chance to be heard and once he crosses the line, the Law will take its course on him, and those individuals whose rights he is violating, will at an appropriate time seek redress from him through Legal means and some of the people who are hiding behind him will eventually abandon him.
Za ziiiii…..Kodi inu A DPP basi mukungoona ngati munafikapo? Anthu omvetsa chisoni ngati inu sindinawaone.Mkazi akukukana koma iwe nganga palinzeru apa? Majority we dont want you poeple mwaba,mwapha kwakwana.Muzingodikila tsiku loikidwa mundende basi kaya patenga nthawi bwanji koma apo ndiye musaiwale ai,bola moyo.
HOW DOES ONE BECOME AN ANALYST OR EXPERT? MY MIND IS BAFFLED. MOST OF THESE SO CALLED EXPERTS OR ANALYSTS DONT QUALIFY TO BE DEFINED AS SUCH. THEY ARE HIGHLY COMPROMISED
So in your eyes Mr Porcupine or Nungu you want to tell people that when there are ills that need to be sorted out then people must just sit???? In revolution or freedom fighting there will always be Casualties or Martyrs so for things to be ok there will always be those resisting change. Malawi is sick, there is no leadership the country is on autopilot. Malawi needs a leader.
never again, I demonstrate not for myself but for the future of the upcoming. Am Mhango but the system made to have the name Chomveka to have relevance if the system otherwise I could be in Rumphi somewhere there fishing. The name Chomveka has made me to hold the high office, I feel sorry for myself. I don’t want any of my future generation to pass through the same. Enough is enough, we will go on with peaceful demos till we see change.
Akapilikoni mufuna anthu asayakhule zinthu ngati sizikuyenda bwino?Inu ndimagulu nthawi ya ukapolo munkathandiza azungu ndi aluya kugwila anthu anu omwe kumagulitsa mbuzi
If we allow this stupid argument that peace must come at all costs including at the expense of a credible election then lets just abolish elections and have that so-called peace.
DPP routinely abuses us, beats us, doesn’t pay tax (Ana aDadi number plates), murders us and steals from us. All of this is institutional violence and yet we demonstrate just for a few months over an election and suddenly the fat-mindless middle class of Malawi shows up through institutions like MHRC and others to lecture us about violence. Hello you sons of bitches and bastards at MHRC, Malawi has been in a permanent state of violence for as long as the DPP has been in power. Where the fuck have you assholes been?
And to the opposition and HRDC I say this: don’t take people for granted. Once you lose their support, this shit is over. Dpp only wants dialogue now because they feel the heat of the people marching. Once that’s over, they will get even more pompous because they will have found the limits of Malawian protests and would have survived a real scare. And then both chilima and chakwera will be destroyed by the dpp for good, including HRDC itself.
As for the rest of us: we will continue to die and rot in defunct hospitals and have our futures perish in under resourced schools.
FUCK YOU ALL VERY MUCH YOU PIECES OF SHITTY COWARDS!
Mr Nungu dont forget ndinu born again Christian. Now the issue here is justice people are suffering … Mec and munthalika connived to cheat or rigg elections, the results is what we are experiencing.. let the court decides then we will see more than this or less
Mr Munthali, when have the DPP unruly individuals started responding with eye for an eye? When did the MCP and Co unruly individuals begin this menace? And I do not see where the hypocrisy lies in this article because MHRC are calling out violence. I see no mention of a political party in the article yet you decided to mention DPP. Now that’s hypocrisy. We now know where you stand. Unless this article has filtered out some content in the reporting, you are the hypocritical one. You must learn to respond to the message in the appeal and not detour to your flawed polical context.
Is khumbo Mutharika the only wise and knowledge person in Malawi to analyse and give sound counsel I Malawi. Is he the only one who knows best? When I look at him he is bend towards one side. The issue raised is important, the economy is suffering and people are just enjoying doing things blindly. People will suffer while organisers are eating and drinking the way they want. I feel sorry that people are being used ignorantly, and they are not told what price the country is or will be paying. The poor will continue getting poor because they are being abused and misused instead of finding something to do. The wise are doing business or better things.
What he was simply trying to project is that MHRC should exercise neutrality in its statement by looking at the matter at hand in all the facets that are affected.
A very primitive way of thinking. You don’t even have an idea of why the poor are becoming poorer and who the few richer are. “People being used ignorantly” is a saying that shouldn’t be used because you have no idea of people who participate in the demos.
Sometimes it’s good to carefully and critically think of what you, because it just shows how you think of everyone in the country.
People in Malawi are already poor because of thieves and corrupt leader we want to get rid of. By supporting anti demos show you are party to ensuring that the people of Malawi remain poor. APM by all means cannot, will never bring development in Malawi rather expect poverty to reign.
Kodi inu a Nyasa Times, governance expert amene mumamdziwa inu ndi Makhumbo Munthali basi? Zopusa basi
Which economy is MHRC talking about? From my understanding, the economy under Peter Mutharika has been on death bed since long time ago. Persistent blackouts, inflation, and lack of productivity have been the order of the day.
Are we being told now that when leaders force themselves into power fraudulently, then people can not protest? What is it that Peter Mutharika has to offer Malawians now that made him steal the election after proving to be a failure in his first term? Do MHRC have eyes to see that DPP with its Cadets are the main perpetrators of violence? DPP behaves as if Malawi is not a democracy. The fact is the majority of Malawians do not want Peter Mutharika as their president. He has given them enough pain in order to endure more.
Rubbish and which economy are you talking off you bustard
I can still afford to drink Banja tea. Happily.
dont be surprised David Nungu is a DPP cadet. He is currently vying for a diplomatic post. Ask him about the report on election monitoring he will not produce it.
MHRC was supposed to join the election case as Amicus Curie but he restrained officers at the institution
MHRC currently is busy condemning demonstrations because he is for government
Munthali your analysis is 100% correct is a pathetic story to read from the Commission such statements
Mumadya nawo inu a MHRC zima banzi. Musatisokotse. DPP has been taking Malawi for granted for very long time.
A Malawi on high seas of corruption. Which hypocrisy? The HRDC or DPP. Out here in the village we never send the mentally sick to a hospital it is the drums to relieve hysteria. The call for ceasefire is uncalled for you’re anther Seodi White wearing beard. Bakili has goofed big by calling on Mtambo to stop the Demos just because the APM administration won’t spank him over the 1.7 billion kwacha corruption case. Remote controlling matters from BCA like a sultan the dull guy mixes cleverness with cash now he has the cash
Another one ogudwa uyu, mufufuzeni, pathetic hypocrite osafunila a Malawi zabwino.
asiyeni azipanga ma demo awowa. ife tili pambuyo pa APM. waonetsa umzwiti pokhala phee pomwe ana akupanga ma demo. APM WOYEEEEE
Foolish…..
Nungu is a bareback thief. Boneless and headless. A good for nothing tart. This is his personal view not that of MHRC. Don’t try people’s patience.