“Describes conduct as unconstitutional” Asian Association of Maravi (AAM) have been greatly aggrieved by “extremely aggressive” invasion by Immigration Department made at Area 2 in Lilongwe on the night of May 9, which the officials had explained was a door-to-door sweep to capture illegal immigrants. A statement, addressed to no one in particular — dated […]
A policy analyst us advising Minister of Civic Education and Unity, Timothy Mtambo’S critics who want the minister fired for incompetence to hold their patience. Rafiq Hajat said there is a need for Malawians to give more time to the ministry of Civic Education to carry out its duties. This comes amid growing claims that […]
Pollster Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) is “doing the nation disservice” to Malawians by withholding Tuesday’s presidential election results, prominent civil rights activist and executive director for Institute for Policy Interaction (IPI), Rafiq Hajat, has said. Three days after the country’s tripartite elections, MEC has only released 35 percent of the presidential results and has withheld […]
President Peter Mutharika has been accused of giving “wrong” information to parliament when he told the August House that the worsening electricity blackouts, which have heavily dented his rule, is due to failure by the previous administrations to invest in the energy sector, adding that his administration has lined up medium and long-term interventions to deal […]
Rights activist Rafiq Hajat has described as sick suggestions by a Malawian to solicit K12 billion in donations to buy a presidential jet for Head of State, Peter Mutharika. Hajat joins hundreds of other Malawians on social media who have condemned businessman Sydney Ndembe for calling for the donations for the luxury of the President […]
Malawian commentators have criticized President Peter Mutharika for shifting what they call governance style by adopting former President and founder of the People’s Party (PP) Joyce Banda’s way of running the countries affairs in a business as usual leadership. The commentators, Chancellor College based analyst Ernest Thindwa and Rafiq Hajat, Executive Director for Institute for […]
Concerned business people in the country have obtained a court injunction stopping the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) from implementing the newly introduced Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFDs) as a collecting mechanism of Value Added Tax (VAT). MRA introduced EFD in March which required that all VAT operators should buy EFDs from licensed distributors. The injunction comes […]
A study conducted by one of the country’s business persons and also a civil rights campaigner Rafiq Hajat on Malawi Revenue Authority’s (MRA) plans to introduce Electronic Fiscal Devices (EFDs) to compliment its VAT collection exercise by 30th June, has indicated that the plan has been done in hurry. The study calls upon the MRA to […]
President Joyce Banda’s adviser on communication and political affairs Elias Wakuda Kamanga has dismissed critics who have labelled the Head of State’s claims of an assassination plot against her as publicity stunt to garner public sympathy. Political scientist Dr Henry Chingaipe on Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) on Monday, described the death threats to the President as […]
We have now meandered down the road of ‘development’ for 49 years and have very little to show after receiving billions of dollars of aid from our well-wishers? The statistics tell a grim tale of woe. Malawi is one of the world’s poorest countries, ranking 160th out of 182 countries on the Human Development Index. […]
Rafiq Hajat, one of Malawi’s leading rights activists has filed claim for damages amounting to around K150 million after his Institute for Policy Interaction (IPI) offices in Blantyre were torched by fire suspected from a petrol bomb during the midnight of September 2, 2011. Hajat has filled the claim through his lawyer, John Gift Mwakhwawa […]
Institute for Policy Interaction (IPI) executive director Rafiq Hajat has caused confusion for forming a parallel electoral civil society organisation that uses the same acronym as the Malawi Electoral Support Network (Mesn). Hajat is calling his organisation Mtendere Election Support Network (Mesn). According to documents from the new Mesn, the formation has come because the […]
Analysts have expressed no surprise in the news that the son of Malawi’s former president has resigned his post as a minister in current President Joyce Banda’s administration after announcing his own presidential bid. Austin Atupele (AA) Muluzi had served as Malawi’s Economic Planning and Development minister as part of Banda’s efforts to reach across […]
Two outspoken Malawian activists have taken to the social media to criticise the visit of former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the country accusing him of “war crimes” like Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir. Blantyre-based think-tank Institute for Policy Interaction (IPI) executive director Rafiq Hajat argued that if Malawi could bar Bashir from visiting the […]
A prominent Malawian civil rights activist, Rafiq Hajat , says he will continue to soldier on in his activism role, saying the reason he became an activist was to fight poverty among poor Malawians and not to get government appointments. Hajat , who is head of Blantyre-based think tank Institute for Policy Interaction, told Nyasa Times that rumours […]
Political commentators have advised new Malawi President Joyce Banda to form a meritorious government- one that brings in the best people to help address the country’s crippling challenges. The worst economic crisis coupled with poor governance records, haunted Banda’s predecessor, late Bingu wa Mutharika, plunging Malawi into a failed state status. Rafiq Hajat, director of […]
Institute for Policy Interaction (IPI) Executive Director Rafik Hajat whose offices were allegedly petrol-bombed last Friday has threatened to sue Presidential spokesperson Dr. Hetherwick Ntaba for libel charges. The offices are suspected to have been petrol-bombed by Malawi’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) youth operatives because of Hajat’s hard-knock stance on the party and President […]
Public Affairs Committee (PAC), the prominent civil society, interfaith organisation made up of the main Protestant, Catholic and Muslim faith groups in Malawi has condemned the arson attack at Institute for Policy Interaction (IPI) offices in the commercial capital, Blantyre. Arsonists suspected to be operatives of ruling DPP on Friday broke window panes at IPI offices at […]