Mzuzu-(MaraviPost)—The Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has advised organisers of demonstrations in the country to follow law and order by going through the institution whenever they want to conduct demos.
In a communique signed by the institution’s Executive Secretary, Habiba Osman, the Commission has stressed that it is a national human rights watchdog which any demonstration organisers should go through to seek its advice, guidance and support.
“Malawi human rights commission is an independent national institution that has been given powers by the constitution of Malawi, under section 129, with the primary responsibility of investigating violation of rights, and based on that we expect that every organisation that is really demonstrating particularly when it comes to rights, will be able to copy us but they will also be able to alert us because our role really is to provide all authorities including all organs of government bodies and the state to recognise but also independently to be able to offer valid guidance when it comes to petitions,” explained Osman.
Osman further said it is an onus on all organisers of the future demos to furnish the institution with a copy of the demos before staging them.
The constitution of the Republic of Malawi, through Section 38, guarantees the right to demonstrate on the condition that all legal procedures have been fulfilled.
