HRDC urges govt to respect Ombudsman determinations on Kachaje, Buluma

Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has urged the Malawi Government to respect determinations made by the country’s Ombudsman.

In its press release issued on Tuesday, HRDC said on Tuesday that it had noted with grave concern the continued attempts by the Executive arm of the Tonse Alliance Government to undermine the constitutional Office of the Ombudsman and sweep under the carpet its determinations as evidenced by recent trends.

“We look at these troubling machinations by the government as blatant attempts to undermine democracy and a sad reminder of the one party authoritative regime where democratic institutions were either stifled completely obliterated,” reads part of the statement signed by the National Chairperson, Gift Trapence, Interim Vice Chairperson, Michael Kaiyatsa, Regional Chairperson for the East Madalitso Banda, Masauko Thawe, and Walita Moya, who is the Regional Chairperson of Northern Region.

The human rights organization said it is “extremely saddened to note that several months after the Ombudsman gave a lucid determination on the employment of the Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) Chief Executive Officer Henry Kachaje, government has not taken any action to respect the determination and Mr Kachaje is still in his office.”

Furthermore, just last week, the Ombudsman directed the dismissal of National Oil Company of Malawi (NOCMA) Deputy Chief Executive Officer Helen Buluma after it found that everything all aspects surrounding her employment was illegal.

“In her determination, the Ombudsman clearly stated that the contract of Buluma should be terminated immediately because Buluma was appointed without following procedures. To our surprise, the government has decided to keep quiet and bury its head in the sand on this clear and straightforward determination by the Ombudsman. We demand that for once the government through the Attorney General and all other relevant stakeholders should see to it that rule of law is respected and not systematically undermined. The office of the Ombudsman is a Constitutional body established to strengthen democracy whose determination ought to be respected,” says HRDC.

The coalition emphasizes that it expects nothing, but total adherence and respect of rule of law on the NOCMA determination within 30 days as stipulated by the Ombudsman in its report.

“We will not relent to demand rule of law and respect of the determinations of the Ombudsman until we see a stop to this blatant tendency by the government to undermine the Ombudsman that is emerging at an alarming rate,” it concludes.

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