Six local human rights civil society organisations (CSOs) have reported to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) the high cost of living in Malawi as an abuse of human rights.
Led by Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) executive director Michael Kaiyatsa, the CSOs outlined the issues in a statement delivered at the 81st ACHPR session in The Gambia last Thursday.
The other five are Centre for Youth Empowerment and Civic Education Youth Wave, Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre, Malawi Sexual and Reproductive Health Alliance and Amref Health Africa.
Presenting the statement to ACHPR chairperson Rémy Ngoy Lumbu, Kaiyatsa said the unbearable high cost of living crisis in Malawi continues to worsen, with rights violating consequences for the majority poor. He said the economic situation undermines the right to adequate standard of living as articulated in Article 11 of the African Charter.
It reads in part: “The recent devaluation of Malawi’s local currency the kwacha by over 60 percent has triggered a dramatic increase in inflation, with food inflation now hovering around 43.5 percent.
“Basic necessities have seen astronomical price increases, making it difficult for families to meet their basic needs. Wages have been significantly eroded, leaving the population struggling to afford essential goods.”
Kaiyatsa further condemned the hunger situation, noting reports that in some districts, people have resorted to consuming potentially poisonous wild beans and wild yams to survive.
He said the situation has been compounded by high fertiliser prices; hence, many Malawians are unable to afford the same to boost their fields.
“Although the Malawian government, through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs [Dodma], has initiated food relief distribution aimed
at assisting 5.7 million affected individuals, many people remain unreached.
“This situation poses a grave violation of the right to food, as outlined in Article 11 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.Kaiyatsa also reported the arrests and intimidation of journalists, activists and social media users, saying Malawi continues to witness alarming violations of civil and political rights through use of the Electronic Transactions and Cyber Security Law.
In an interview, he said the commission, which is under the African Union (AU), will produce a report compiling all the issues raised.
Minister of Information and Digitisation Moses Kunkuyu had not responded to our questionnaire on the government’s position by press time at 10pm.
The ACHPR is the premier human rights body of the AU, established under Article 30 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the founding treaty of the African Human Rights system, for the promotion and protection of human rights in Africa.
The mandate of the ACHPR is defined in Article 45 of the African Charter and partly includes: the promotion and protection of human and peoples’ rights on the continent and the formulation of principles and rules on fundamental freedoms on which African governments can base their legislation.
