Arrests are on the way for Malawi police officers implicated in the deaths of four individuals in Kafukule in Mzimba in 2009, Home Affairs Minister Uladi Mussa told parliament on Thursday. Minister of Justice and Attorney General Ralph Kasambara has also said trigger happy police officers who killed and assaulted citizens during the July 20, […]
New Inspector General of Malawi Police Service, Loti Dzonzi has pledged that he will lead a professional service that will ensure human rights are protected. During last July’s anti-government protests, police shot and killed 19 people. The brutal crackdown forced the United States to suspend a $350 million compact for Malawi’s energy sector. The police […]
Police officers are the most feared lot of professionals. When they call you to a station, one develops sudden jitters all over the body even when police only want to get important information necessary for further investigations. When a police vehicle appears in the village, children and elders often run away. If they don’t run away, then they would […]
A story on an alleged engagement ceremony involving two women that appeared in The Sunday Times of 20 May was a desperate attempt by former ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) to stir a hornets’ nest for President Joyce Banda and throw her on a collision course with either donors or traditional and religious leaders, Nyasa Times can […]
Malawi will be submitting written reports on the state of human rights record to international bodies like Africa Union and United Nations, President Joyce Banda has assured. Banda made the assurances when she met the outgoing fourth cohort of Malawi Human Rights Commissioner on Monday at Sanjika Palace in Blantyre. The DPP led government of […]
As President Joyce Banda ponders on who to appoint next as commissioners for the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC), the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) has prodded the president to renew the contracts of the commissioners. The tenure of office for the commissioners expires on Thursday, May 24, 2012, and PAC has described their three-year term […]
Traditional Authority Kuntaja of Blantyre has appealed to government to let traditional and faith community leaders to handle the issue of same sex marriage other than parliamentarians. “This is a cultural issue and not one which parliamentarians should waste time discussing. The country has a lot of problems which need their attention other than this […]
Outgoing chairperson of the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) John Kapito has called upon staff of the state rights body to be a lamp to the nation, saying Malawians will need the Commission’s guidance on human rights at all times. He was speaking on Wednesday in Lilongwe at the start of the week’s long training for […]
Former governing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) says it will not support moves to repeal laws that criminalises homosexual acts. President Joyce Banda announced on Friday in Parliament her government’s plans to repeal a number of laws that have made Malawi into a pariah state, from its ban on homosexuality to broad police powers of search […]
The United States commends the bold actions taken by Malawi’s President Joyce Banda since her inauguration last month. In a statement issued by acting spokesperson for US State Department, Mark C. Toner, the Obama administration said President Banda in her State of the Nation address “articulated a positive vision for Malawi’s future.” “Fulfilling this vision would […]
Malawi’s Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Ralph Kasambara has said two women who became the first lesbian couple to hold a traditional engagement will not face charges. Homosexuality is currently banned in Malawi and carries a maximum sentence of 14 years. National Police Spokesperson Davie Chingwalu said the police had launched full investigations into […]
Inmates at Maula prison in Lilongwe have appealed to President Joyce Banda to consider pardoning some of prisoners who are serving jail on petty issue to reduce the overcrowding. Banda cheered the inmates on Friday as the country’s first sitting head of state to visit Maula prison. A representative of the prisoners Gift Theu, convicted […]
The Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) recently drilled senior Malawi Police Officers on human rights to ensure that they are not violating the rights of people in the course of their duty. Chairperson of MHRC John Kapito explained that the purpose was to share common best practices on human rights and how the Malawi Police […]
Thokozani: Victim of Bingu’s ‘war’ Under the one party dictatorship, people suffered with some facing state executed prejudicial killings. It is difficult to state exactly how many, but many people died. There were outright murders like the 1983 Mwanza four (ministers Dick Matenje, Aaron Gadama, Twaibu Sangala and MP David Chiwanga), suspicious deaths like the […]
Malawi Leader of Opposition, John Tembo, has demanded President Bingu wa Mutharika to change from being an autocrat to allow democracy and good governance or consider to step down. Tembo was reacting to an announcement by United States government that it has suspended $350 million allocated to Malawi through the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). The […]
A pro-democracy activist, Ben Chiza Mkandawire, has lashed at President Bingu wa Mutharika’s increased autocracy, branding him as a smug. Chiza Mkandawire has been driving his democracy activism through the social media and condemned the deteriorating human rights situation in Malawi with the current spate of arbitrary arrests on Mutharika’s growing band of critics. “Bingu has […]
Global rights watchdog Human Rights Watch has called on Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika to end crackdown on growing band of critics and activists. The HRW orbseved that the government’s recent surge of arrests and threats against critics reflects its broader crackdown on free speech and other basic rights, “Arresting government critics is just the latest sign […]
The US embassy in Malawi has announced that the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) board meets this Thursday March 22 2012 in Washington to decide on the way forward for the Malawi Compact. Thus, the meeting this Thursday in Washington DC; is crucial for Malawi to know its future as regards this essential grant at the […]