CSOs launch probe into Sanjika meeting

Civil society organisations (CSOs) operating under the banner of Malawi Human Rights Defenders Coalition have instituted a committee to investigate the truth about an alleged meeting between some human rights defenders and President Peter Mutharika.

The birth of the committee, which is led by Centre for Development of People (Cedep) executive director Gift Trapence, follows mistrust that has ensued among CSOs over the meeting which State House claims took place at Sanjika last Wednesday.

Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) executive director Timothy Mtambo confirmed that they have instituted an investigation on the matter after which they will decide the way forward.

According to a social media post, which apparently is the source of the confusion, CSOs leaders alleged to have attended the meeting include chairperson for the Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) Robert Mkwezalemba, Flyson Chodzi and Bright Kampaundi who run Forum for National Development (FND), Youth and Society director Charles Kajoloweka and Julius Mithi, a civil servant based in Mzuzu.

Kajoloweka is one of the leaders of the Human Rights Defenders Coalition who organised the April 27 nationwide demonstrations.

He, alongside Mtambo and Trapence, have become a critical voice of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration who on several occasions have joined forces to take government to account.

But in an interview, Kajoloweka described the allegation as total ‘rubbish’ aimed at tarnishing his image.

He said on the alleged day he was in Mzuzu and he has not moved out of the city since Friday

Lilongwe for a Council of Non-Governmental Organisation (Congoma) meeting. last week when he travelled to

The youth activist said this was the propaganda of the regime working with some disgruntled members of the CSOs to discredit him.

Asked if he was aware of the investigation by his colleagues, Kajoloweka said he was not worried for he has done nothing wrong.

While he could not name anyone, he suggested that some people within their network, who are not happy with his presence, fabricated stories to damage his character.

“I have nothing more to say. Let people who suspect me prove the case. And at this point I would rather keep quiet and not comment some more until such a time when I feel like,” said Kajoloweka in a telephone interview yesterday.

When contacted for comment, Mkwezalamba also denied that he had attended the meeting, saying he was in South Africa for some meeting while Mithi also denied meeting the President.

But Presidential Spokesperson Mgeme Kalirani refused to name CSO leaders who attended the meeting, but maintained that the interface took place on Wednesday at Sanjika.

“Meetings are part of the President’s office routine. The President meets Malawians from all walks of life every day. However, I can neither deny nor confirm that Mr. Kajoloweka was part of the civil society members that met the President on this day,” said Kalirani.