Malawi Human Rights Commission has new commissioners

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Category: News Flash

Published on Tuesday, 07 August 2012 13:29

Written by Charity Chimungu Phiri

President Joyce Banda has appointed at least nine people as commissioners of the Malawi Human Rights Commission(MHRC), three months after contracts of the previous commissioners expired.

The new commissioners are Dalitso Kubalasa, the Executive Director of the Malawi Economic Justice Network; Rodgers Newa, Executive Director of CEYCA, Steven Mkoka, programme manager at the National Initiative for Civic Education; and Benedicto Kondowe, Executive Director of Civil Society Education Coalition.

The other commissioners are Sophie Kalinde, former diplomat and commissioner; Marshal Chilanga; private practice lawyer and former commissioner; Rev Dr Zachaeus Kawalala, overseer of Word Alive Ministries and former commissioner. Ombudsman Justice Tujilane Chizumila and the Law Commissioner Gertrude Hiwa are ex-officio members.

The appointment comes after President Banda promised the outgoing commissioners in May 2012 that she would not take time to appoint a new team at the institution to ensure that human rights promotion and protection went on smoothly during her reign.

The swearing-in ceremony for the new commissioners is scheduled to take place at the New State House in Lilongwe on Wednesday , August 8 at two o’clock in the afternoon.

As per the principles of the commission, the new commissioners will elect their chairperson soon at their first meeting.

The previous chairperson was John Kapito, an outspoken critic of former President Bingu wa Mutharika, who was arrested on trumped charges because of his fierce criticism against the regime.