By Suleman Chitera
For years, the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has projected itself as the conscience of the nation — a fearless defender of democracy, human rights, and constitutional order in Malawi. It has mobilised protests, issued fiery press statements, and positioned itself as the voice of the oppressed.
However, a deeper examination of HRDC’s recent conduct raises disturbing questions: Has HRDC abandoned ordinary Malawians and repositioned itself as a shield for compromised political elites accused of serious crimes?
A PATTERN THAT CANNOT BE IGNORED
Investigations and public records reveal a troubling pattern. HRDC has been conspicuously vocal in defending, sanitising, or politically legitimising individuals facing grave allegations, including:
- Large-scale corruption and plunder of public resources
- Abuse of office and systemic fraud
- Political violence and, in some cases, alleged involvement in loss of life
Instead of demanding accountability, HRDC leaders have frequently framed such cases as “political persecution”, selectively invoking human rights language to delegitimise lawful investigations and court processes.
SELECTIVE OUTRAGE, SELECTIVE SILENCE
While HRDC rushes to microphones when politically connected suspects are arrested, its silence is deafening when:
- Poor citizens rot in police cells without trial
- Villagers lose land through corrupt deals
- Women and children suffer abuse without justice
- Civil servants are victimised for refusing to participate in corruption
This selective activism exposes a dangerous double standard: rights for the powerful, neglect for the powerless.
FROM CIVIC GUARDIAN TO POLITICAL ACTOR
Multiple sources within civil society and law enforcement describe HRDC as having crossed the line from advocacy into partisan politics. Some of its leaders openly associate with politicians under investigation, attend their strategy meetings, and appear at rallies that have nothing to do with civic education or human rights.
This behaviour erodes public trust and compromises the integrity of the entire civil society sector. A body that should act as a watchdog has instead become a political pressure group, weaponising protests to protect allies and intimidate institutions tasked with enforcing the law.
UNDERMINING JUSTICE, WEAKENING THE STATE
By portraying arrests and prosecutions as attacks on democracy, HRDC risks:
- Undermining the independence of the judiciary
- Weakening public confidence in anti-corruption institutions
- Encouraging impunity among political elites
- Creating the false narrative that accountability equals oppression
Human rights do not mean freedom from consequences. No democracy survives when criminal accountability is rebranded as tyranny.
WHO SPEAKS FOR THE ORDINARY MALAWIAN?
The central question remains unanswered: Who defends the ordinary citizen when HRDC is busy defending the politically connected?
A true human rights organisation should:
- Defend the rule of law, not undermine it
- Protect victims, not suspects with power
- Demand justice, not negotiate impunity
Until HRDC realigns itself with these principles, it risks being remembered not as a defender of Malawi’s democracy, but as an enabler of elite corruption and political lawlessness.
CONCLUSION: A CALL FOR NATIONAL HONESTY
Malawi does not need loud activism divorced from principle. It needs credible, ethical, and non-partisan defenders of human rights.
If HRDC cannot reclaim its moral authority and recommit to defending all Malawians — especially the poor and voiceless — then the nation must confront a painful truth:
HRDC no longer represents the people; it represents power.
