The most striking line in the Human Rights Defenders Coalition's latest statement is not a demand but a doubt. Malawians, it says, are "entitled" to know whether President Peter Mutharika is actually running the country.
Issued on Saturday, the statement accuses the administration of eroding the independence of key institutions while ordinary citizens struggle with failing public services. Signed by Vice-Chairperson Madalitso Banda and National Coordinator Kelvin Chirwa on behalf of the board, it sets out nine demands.
The first concerns the machinery of accountability. The HRDC wants full independence restored to the offices of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Anti-Corruption Bureau, and wants Parliament to compel the DPP to reinstate cases it says were wrongly discontinued, with citizens given legal standing to enforce them. That would be a significant shift in who can hold prosecutors to account.
The second goes to the heart of its doubt. The coalition demands an "immediate, direct presidential explanation" for the treatment of First Vice-President Jane Ansah, and the restoration of her office's constitutional function.
The statement does not spell out what that treatment has been, leaving the implication to speak for itself.
The remaining demands fall into two groups. On institutions and rights, the group calls for respect for Parliament's oversight role and the independence of the Malawi Electoral Commission, urgent and properly funded action against human trafficking with real enforcement and victim protection rather than legislative promises, and an end to the arrest, harassment and court-imposed silencing of human rights defenders.
On the state's competence, it wants published timelines and transparent reporting on the electricity, water, fuel and passport crises, evidence of the savings from government austerity measures, and a transparent, merit-based process for all parastatal appointments.
The statement was also backed by regional representatives Harold Kachepatsonga (Central), Gibson Chisale (Northern) and Loveness Thole (Women Human Rights Defenders). The HRDC said it "remains committed to ensuring respect for human rights for all Malawians."
