Coalition sets November 17 demonstrations in Lilongwe, Zomba and Mzuzu, accusing minister of breaking promise to fix shortages by October 20 Malawians are set to take to the streets next month after the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) announced nationwide demonstrations demanding that Energy Minister Jean Mathanga resign over the country’s fuel shortages and power […]
The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has called on the government to provide what it describes as “credible and verifiable” assurances about President Arthur Peter Mutharika’s ability to carry out his duties, following his extended stay in South Africa. The call comes after Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Secretary General Peter Mukhito said he met the […]
Rights coalition says police must act on videos of the Blantyre incidents and investigate officers who allegedly failed to intervene. The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has condemned the attack on the convoy of former President Lazarus Chakwera in Blantyre, along with damage to a vehicle belonging to Moses Kunkuyu and the alleged assault and […]
The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has warned that it could mobilise Malawians for peaceful nationwide protests if government fails to address deepening shortages of fuel, electricity, water and essential medicines, saying citizens can no longer be expected to bear the burden of persistent failures in public service delivery. In a strongly worded statement signed […]
The State says it is preparing to resurrect a criminal case against three former leaders of the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), just after a Lilongwe court threw out arrest warrants issued against them. Prosecutors had secured the warrants earlier this month, accusing Timothy Mtambo, Gift Trapence and McDonald Sembereka of breaching bail conditions linked […]
Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court has cancelled arrest warrants issued against former Human Rights Defenders Coalition leaders Gift Trapence, Timothy Mtambo and Rev MacDonald Sembereka after a dispute over wh ether the criminal case from which they arose was still before the court. Chief Resident Magistrate Austin Banda ruled in favour of the three activists, […]
The Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court has reserved until 2pm on Thursday its ruling on whether warrants of arrest issued against former Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) leaders Timothy Mtambo, Gift Trapence and Reverend MacDonald Sembereka should be permanently set aside. Chief Resident Magistrate Austin Banda reserved his decision after the State cross-examined Trapence, one […]
The Roads Authority is facing mounting pressure after recommending a Chinese construction giant for K587 billion worth of road projects, despite its failure to complete a key road scheme awarded four years ago. Human rights campaigners have demanded answers over why China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) is being lined up for two massive infrastructure […]
The decision by the Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court to temporarily lift arrest warrants against three prominent civil society activists has revived legal questions about a case the State discontinued six years ago. Former Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) leaders Timothy Mtambo, Gift Trapence and Reverend MacDonald Sembereka have secured a temporary reprieve after the […]
Three former leaders of Malawi’s Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) have launched a dramatic court move to stop their arrest, claiming police are pursuing them over a case that was thrown out more than six years ago. Former HRDC chairperson Timothy Mtambo, alongside activists Gift Trapence and McDonald Sembereka, has asked the Chief Resident Magistrate’s […]
The most striking line in the Human Rights Defenders Coalition’s latest statement is not a demand but a doubt. Malawians, it says, are “entitled” to know whether President Peter Mutharika is actually running the country. Issued on Saturday, the statement accuses the administration of eroding the independence of key institutions while ordinary citizens struggle with […]
The once outspoken Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has gone conspicuously quiet as an ugly leadership battle threatens to tear the rights watchdog apart. Mediation talks aimed at resolving the crisis between HRDC’s current leadership and its own Ad Hoc Committee collapsed on Monday, meaning the dispute now heads back to the High Court of […]
The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has thrown its support behind Parliament’s decision to investigate a string of pressing national issues, while cautioning that the planned 12 joint committees could run into serious challenges due to limited capacity, expertise and the risk of overlapping investigations. In a statement, HRDC chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa and national coordinator […]
The NGO Regulatory Authority (NGORA) has launched an aggressive push against the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), demanding the coalition account for its alleged failure to comply with the NGO Law — but bizarrely, has directed the demand at former chairperson Gift Trapence, despite the coalition now being led by Michael Kaiyatsa. NGORA, the state-owned […]
A leading human rights coalition has launched a scathing attack on Malawi’s justice system, demanding urgent action after activist Sylvester Namiwa was left languishing behind bars for three weeks — despite the State itself not opposing his bail. The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) didn’t hold back in a blistering statement, branding Namiwa’s continued detention […]
Malawi’s Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has called on the government to disclose the constitutional arrangements governing presidential authority during President Peter Mutharika’s absences abroad, as well as the cost to taxpayers of his frequent foreign travel. In a statement issued on Thursday made available to Nyasa Times, the coalition acknowledged the Office of the […]
Fresh turmoil has erupted inside the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) after an ad hoc committee accused chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa of misleading the public about the status of a court battle over his leadership. Committee chair Henderson Mhango told journalists that contrary to Kaiyatsa’s claims, the High Court never ruled on their bid to secure […]
Fury has erupted over Malawi’s crippling electricity blackouts, with a leading human rights group demanding the government “come out clear” and stop hiding behind press statements as the crisis wreaks havoc across the country. The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has issued a blistering attack on ministers, accusing them of failing to give Malawians an […]