AG engages HRDC on Friday

The future of political instability currently haunting the nation, will be known on Friday as the organizers of the anti-Jane Ansah nationwide demonstrations, Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), set to meet the Attorney General, Kalekeni Kaphale, in Lilongwe, for further talks on the matter.

The meeting follows Tuesday’s recommendation from the Supreme Court of Appeal which ordered the two parties to hold negotiations aimed at determining a manner in which incidents of violence and crime during the demonstrations can be prevented.

HRDC member, Reverend McDonald Sembereka, said the coalition is set for the meeting, however, he has asked the Attorney General to direct the Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) to vacate a high court injunction which stops HRDC from holding demonstrations around the county’s airports and border posts.

Reverend Sembereka said: “Our belief is that when you go into discussions it has to be in good faith but at the meantime our hands are tied given that we are faced with an injunction that came from MRA which is a branch of government and we will table this as a bone of contention during the discussions.”

But Sembereka has assured that HRDC will attend the meeting wholeheartedly and expects that an agreement between the two side will be reached.

Meanwhile, the ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, through its spokesperson, Pilirani Masanjala, said they are equally geared to meet the Human Rights campaigners.

“As far as we are concern the meeting is on in line with the orders that the Supreme Court gave and the communications with the HRDC have already been finalized,” he said.

But responding to the issues regarding the HRDC’s demand to have the court injunction by MRA vacated, Masanjala said the ministry is yet to receive an official communication on the demand.

The meeting will take place at civic offices and is being facilitated by the office of Attorney General.

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