Malawians need protection from police brutality
A few weeks ago, police beat up Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) employee Mayeso Kanyowile while she attended a meeting at the office in full view of her colleagues before they dragged and threw her behind a truck. Three police officers in Mzuzu are answering charges of manslaughter for allegedly killing student Edison Msiska while in police custody. A few years ago, another police officer from the 997 patrol team killed innocent people in Mchesi Township. Some suspected criminals have died in police custody under bizarre circumstances. Elsewhere, innocent people have been harassed by police at road blocks.
These are just a few of the many instances in which the police— who are supposed to provide safety and protection to the citizens— are perpetrators of criminal activities. As if this is not enough violation of human rights, police have detained journalists on flimsy charges. They have stopped political debates, blocked opposition parties from holding rallies and refused non-governmental organisations (NGOs) from holding peaceful demonstrations.
All these violations and brutality are happening against the background of the highly-acclaimed British-sponsored police reform programme. The British government invested millions of kwachas with the hope that the police would work better. But police behavior proves resources just went down the drain.
A lot of innocent Malawians continue to be victimised. What is more annoying and disappointing is that perpetrators go scot-free. As a result, police excesses continue unabated. If one may ask, what action have the police taken on officers who beat up and humiliated Kanyowile? Worse still, police headquarters and the Ministry of Home Affairs have not even issued a public apology to Kanyowile and MHRC to condemn the outrageous incident.
One can only hope that the commission will pursue the issue for justice. If police beat a person in her office— who is safe? Police and security forces need to be educated that anything they do in public attracts public interest and scrutiny.
Malawians need protection from the police, many of whom cannot be trusted. It is imperative to have an independent and specialised body to which the public can lodge complaints against police brutality. Having such as a body will not only provide the much-needed checks and balances, but enhance professionalism and accountability.
The current arrangement of reporting police officers to the police is awkward. Complainants are unlikely to get justice. The police cannot effectively deal with complaints levelled against their own officers. The tendency has been to shield criminal elements within their own ranks.
Unless we have such a body in place, the police will continue to abuse human rights with impunity. Many countries such as South Africa and the United Kingdom have specialised police watchdog bodies which foster justice in the police service. Can human rights NGOs lobby parliament for such a body?
