Mutharika appoints new MHRC commissioners

President Peter Mutharika has appointed new commissioners for the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) months after the taxpayer-funded rights watchdog submitted proposed names to his office.

MHRC confirmed the appointment of media consultant Baldwin Chiyamwaka and Bertha Sefu as new commissioners and the retention of four previous commissioners, notably economist Dalitso Kubalaso, education rights activist Benedicto Kondowe, lawyer Justin Dzonzi and Steven Mkoka on Tuesday.

Reads the statement in part: “The appointed commissioners will serve for a 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].”

The new commissioners are expected to elect a chairperson from one of them.

The last commission led by chairperson Sophie Kalinde retired in June, but MHRC submitted names of proposed commissioners earlier in May to avoid a power vacuum.

The absence of commissioners had left the constitutional body without its crucial policy-making organ for months.

The law requires MHRC to invite proposals from the public for nominations of those to serve as its commissioners and submits the list of proposals to the president for appointment.

A week ago, sister paper Nation on Sunday reported that State House was delaying the process of the appointments.

The seven are joined by two ex-officio members from government, the Law Commissioner and Ombudsman.