Malawi Law Society credibility questioned for ‘defending abuse of human rights’
A social commentator says the Malawi Law Society (MLS) led by Burton Chidongondo Mhango is displaying its bias and backing Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) having sides with President Peter Mutharika in the presidential elections despite presenting itself as a friend of the court.
The commentator, Onjezani Kenani, made the accusation on Facebook after the Law Society president Mhango backed the police action in arresting Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) leaders for planning to should down State Residences.
“The Malawi Law Society defends police action. Why not change your society to Mutharika Law Society? You sided with his as amicus curiae, now you are defending his abuse if human rights,” Kenani wrote.
A veteran journalist Dickson Kashoti also posted his status on Facebook aimed at MLS as an operative of the ruling party.
“Those who are against us, are not with us, Good morning cadet Malawi Law Society,” wrote Kashoti.
Mhango, whose brother Charles Chidongondo Mhango is legal adviser of DPP, said the HRDC leaders flouted the laws of the land when they were planning to shut down State residences with a “citizen’s electoral justice march” to the State House on 25 March.
“An attempt to commit anoffence us a crime and planning a can lead to committing an offence. I f someone was planning to seal State House that was reason enough to be picked,” said Mhango.
Malawi Law Society president said human rights activists “need not to be lawless in their conduct.”
Meanwhile, the High Court has ordered that the Malawi police “immediately return” HRDC leaders Trapence and Sembereka to Lilongwe, where they were originally arrested, and that their case be dealt with by the Lilongwe court.
They also ordered that HRDC chairperson Timothy Mtambo, for whom a warrant has been arrested and who surrendered himself to Police on Tuesday, may not be transferred to Blantyre or any city other than Lilongwe for judicial tourism.
Human rights activists in Malawi – Charles Kajoloweka heading Youth and Society (YAS), Moses Mkandawire of Church and Society of the Livingstonia Synod and Gibson Chisale of Pace
have warned that is the HRDC members are not released they will mobilise the public for mass demonstrations.
In his statement, Southern African Human Rights Defenders Network (SAHRDN), regional programmes manager Washington Katema, based in Johannesburg, expressed “reasonable apprehension and fear” for the lives of the activists, pointing out that anything is possible to be done against them while they are detained, including torture, inhuman and other degrading treatment as well as poisoning.”
SAHRDN said the arrest of HRDC leaders were arbitrarily and must, therefore, be released unconditionally since they were planning to hold peaceful demonstrations.
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Malawi Law Society has lost credibility under the leadership of this cadet. It has become Malawi low society.
Apapa osutsa aona Nyekhwe ofunika amumange zenizeni ameneyu maka uyuyu nachimutu amaonjeza
MLS are right and are not siding with DPP,. HRDC Mtambo and the rest of his contingents are the ones who have showed that, they are totally siding with MCP and UTM. Because it is HRDC, weather they violet other people’s rights, threatening the government, and you still want MLS to support them. They need to be punished for that, we must not think that all Malawians have supported how HRDC has been operating,If Mtambo wants to be a politician he must not use HRDC to be a political party, and being one sided. So MLS are right, they have… Read more »
MLS is the only organisation that speaks sense. PAC is useless. HRDC a terrorist organisation. and MCP – Malawi Crocodile’s Party.
The Malawi Law Society has shown that it stands by fairness and justice. Being an activist does not mean you should violate other people’s rights.
Law society
Very soon, it is just a matter of time, MCP or UTM will be in power. I can not wait to see how they will handle political protests. Precedents have been laid down in stone. It is hard to reverse. When someone demonstrates even with elements of violence = no arrests and no tear gas. When someone swears at a sitting president = president must be tolerant. When someone through major media outlets calls for blocking national border gates or shutting down state house or something like that= Tolerance is called for and no arrests should be made. Police should… Read more »
Police just inject them with Corona virus and leave them in quarantine. If you do not have ask china to give you the virus through cyliners that is how Zimbabwe ended useless opposition. You will never hear CSO being rude and championing damage to property in any part of Central Africa including here in Zim. Ask how Morgan Tsangarai died. Poison is the easiest way. They will die a natural death withn 14 days…..It is only in Malawi where rehionmal parties and CSOs are anti governent and behave like they own the whole army, mix
Iweyo si munthu ayi koma nyama. Munthu sangaganize zomwe zikuyenda in your stupid brain.
This society should change the way it elects its leaders such that anyone who has a relation in politics should automatically be disqualified otherwise its relevance will be highly questionable.
Is this Malawi Law Society or Malawi Stupid Society? The leadership of this society are cowards and now they have changed hiding behnd section 124 of the penal code! Burton, you made a statement (or was it a legal opinion?) back it up with facts.Did the HRDC indicate to you or your DPP imbeciles how they intend to shutdown the state house? What if their plan is camp outside 100 meters from the gates/wall of the state residence? Would that to you Burton be a crime? Last time you warned that there should be no demonstrations after courts verdict and… Read more »