LILONGWE, August 19, 2015, (MaraviPost): Malawi President Peter Mutharika has appointed new commissioners for taxpayer-funded rights watchdog, The Malawi Human Right Commission (MHRC) after some months the organization submitted proposed names tohis office.
The appointment of the commissioners comes also barely a month after the organisation bid fare to the end of term for the 5th cohort of commissioners which was in the office since 2012.
Through a press statement released on Tuesday, August 18, 2015 which is also available to The Maravi Post which Chimwemwe Manyozo MHRC Communication Officer has confirmed coming in of new commissioners.
The new appointment has retained four of the previous commissioners including education activist Benedicto Kondowe, an economic expert Dalitso Kubalasa, Justice Dzonzi, a human rights lawyer and Stephen Mkoka. The other previous commissioners not made into new appointment including Reverend Zacc Kawalala, Marshal Chilenga, Grace Hiwa (SC) and Ambassador Sophie Asimenye Kalinde.
“The appointed commissioners will serve for three-year term of office up to August 2018, in line with Section 5 (1) of the Human rights Commission Act , Chapter 3:08 of the Laws of Malawi”, reads the statement.
The new commissioners, seven in total and joined by two ex-officio members from government including the law commissioner and Ombudsman, are expected to elect a chairperson from one of them.
In an interview with the local press on Tuesday, August 18 upon release of new commissioners’ names, Grace Malera MHRC Executive Secretary lamented absence of the commissioners which made her office unable to execute crucial-policy decision saying their appointment was a relief.
The previous 5th cohort of commissioners which was chaired by Ambassador Sophie Asimenye Kalinde championed the country’s stage to retain ‘A’ status accreditation by International Coordinating Committee (ICC) for Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI) which will see Malawi’s gross of human rights violation reports recognized globally for possible support.
