2 CSOs demand action on ‘serious challenges’
Two civil society organisations (CSOs) in the country have expressed concern over the “serious challenges” Malawians are facing that have resulted in systematic violation of their human rights as enshrined in the Constitution.
The CSOs, Centre for Development of People (Cedep) and Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR), in a statement released yesterday, say it is particularly disturbing to note that most of the challenges facing the country are emanating from poor leadership, lack of patriotism, compromised integrity as well as glorification of political expediency at the cost of nation-good on the part of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government.
However, government, through Minister of Information and Communications Technology Malison Ndau, has said its doors are open to every group of people or institutions that have suggestions to make.
“Yes they have raised the issues, but why not come together with government to discuss face to face on how they would like things to be handled? The President is quite open to meet every group of people that has propositions to make on issues of national interest,” said Ndau in a telephone interview.
Meanwhile, University of Malawi (Unima) political analyst Mustapha Hussein has said while it is not a bad idea to raise the issues, there is need to move a step further to seek action and the best way to do that is through dialogue.
“They can do better than simply raising the issues. What is needed is to move from speaking to seeking action and the best way is to dialogue with government, find out what exactly is happening. There must be evidence, they should seek hard facts and concrete evidence and then use what they know or what they get from government to monitor and then if there is something to the contrary, bring to the attention of government and seek action from them.
“It is not bad that they are raising the issues but they need to move a step further because some of the issues are known to government. For instance, the issue about water shortages and electricity blackouts. But what is important is to seek to know what government is doing through dialogue with ministries and officials responsible and if they are forthcoming, maybe they can seek an audience with the highest authority,” said Hussein.
On the other hand, main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has said it agrees with all the issues raised by the two organisations and has since called upon Malawians to join the CSOs with a collective voice if the country is to forge ahead.
Said MCP deputy secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka: “We quite agree with the observations made by the two institutions. As a party, we are also disturbed as well [by] the issue of selective justice, politicisation of governance institutions, electricity blackouts and water shortages.
“This is what we have been saying that we need a collective voice if we are to forge ahead as a country because what has been happening is that people have been expecting the opposition to speak on issues of national interest while they watch from the peripheral. This is our country, we have to own this country and if there is something that is affecting us as a nation, we need to rise together, we do not need others to be spectators.”
In the statement, Cedep and CHRR have since reminded government that the primary role of every government is to protect its citizens and the President [Peter Mutharika] and the Cabinet took an oath to protect and defend the Republican Constitution where human rights and good governance are enshrined.
“Failure to deliver is tantamount to violating the human rights of Malawians. Finally, we wish to call upon Malawians that it is within their democratic power to demand good governance and development from government.
