President Peter Mutharika’s press statement issued on 10 December, in line with the International Human Rights Day, said the country has made tremendous progress in creating sufficient civic space for the participation of all people in the affairs of the nation and fundamentally in the protection and promotion of human rights.

The statement was issued by the state house and signed by the presidential spokesperson, Mgeme Kalilani.

Reads part of the statement: “His Excellency the President urges Malawians to remember that we have made tremendous progress in creating sufficient civic space for the participation of all people in the affairs of our nation and fundamentally in the protection and promotion of human rights in Malawi.”

Mutharika further said there is evidence that Non-State actors are able to freely participate so much so that the country has witnessed unprecedented proliferation of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) dealing in various areas of governance without let or hindrance.

He added that his Government is open to any form of constructive and progressive feedback that such actors offer.

But speaking to the media after a freedom march which the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) organized in Lilongwe, also in commemoration of the human rights day, the coalition chairperson, Timothy Ntambo, strongly condemned the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led government for being on forefront in violating people’s rights.

He cited government’s failure to prosecute perpetrators of human rights abusers by giving an example of Nsundwe scenario as a case study.

“Malawi has fared badly, the state has turned against its own people, and human rights defenders are being intimidated so we call upon all Malawians to resurrect against all the evils,” lamented Ntambo.

This year the International Human Rights Day was commemorated under a global theme: “Youth Standing Up for Human Rights.”