New MHRC commissioner Chikondi Chijozi sworn in: Chakwera says ‘lets build new Malawi free of  human rights abuses’

President Lazarus Chakwera has urged commissioners of the Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) to take on the work of championing human rights by ensuring that  they also practice human rights to match their language at the taxpayer funded human rights watchdog.

Chakwera said this when he swore in lawyer Chikondi Chijozi  to join the seventh cohort of commissioners, filling the vacany following the death of ist chairperson Reverend Patrick Semphere.

“I can think of nothing more tragic than the idea of  a Human Rights Commissioner who routinely violates the  rights of his or her workers at home, or the rights of his or  her subordinates and colleagues at work, or the rights of his  or her vendors in the market, or the rights of his or her own  children, or the rights of his or her fellow-citizens in the  public square. Human rights must be practiced, not just  preached,” said Chakwera in his speech

The President said  human  rights must be fought for, not just promoted.

“ It is naïve to  ever assume in this world that everyone wants human rights  to thrive. That is simply not so. Both history and personal  experience teach us that the curve of human nature bends  towards self-interest from birth, which is counter to the  selflessness that the advancement of human rights  demands.

“As such, our approach to the consolidation of  human rights must account for those who will naturally  work at cross-purposes to human rights in their quest for  selfish interests,” he said.

Chakwera advised the commissioners that their approach must also account for “those who  may very well militantly seek to abuse the rights of others as  a result of having an evil nature that takes pleasure in doing  harm to others. “

He observed that advancing human rights is  no walk in the park and must not be taken on by the timid  and cowardly.

“The forces you have to fight off to protect  human rights are formidable, often armed by vast and  powerful networks with deep pockets. In the face of such  forces, it is not enough to merely defend human rights, for  that entails waiting for human rights to be attacked. I am  saying that you must take the fight to them whatever it may  cost you,” he said.

President Chakwera in congratulating  Commissioner Chijozi, said she is in good  company with the other Commissioners, including “human  rights warriors” like the Law Commissioner and the  Ombudsman, “who are beacons of light in our nation.”

Chakwera pledged his government’s commitment to help MHRC to mainian its good repurtation on the international stage, calling on commissioner  to  be part if building “a new Malawi free of  human rights abuses.”

According to Section 130 of the Constitution, MHRC has powers of investigation and recommendation as are reasonably necessary for the effective promotion of human rights.

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