‘Time to act on Msundwe saga’
Human Rights Consultative Committee (HRCC) has urged the newly sworn in Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) commissioners to act swiftly on Msundwe alleged rape cases.
The commissioners were sworn-in Lilongwe on Friday.
HRCC Chairperson, Robert Mkwezalamba, said the commissioners must deal with human rights violations.
“First, we would like them to clear the mist around Msundwe rape incidents where the commission found out that such things, indeed, occurred. We also want to know what they are going to do regarding the allegations and the findings of the commission.
“We also want them to investigate and bring a report on the killing of a policer officer [Usumani Imedi] at Msundwe so that culprits are brought to book,” he said.
National Police spokesperson, James Kadadzera, said the police are still investigating the matter.
“We communicated to Malawians through the media that we are conducting full criminal investigations on the Msundwe issue. Investigations are underway. When we are through with this criminal investigation, we will also communicate,” he said.
On January 7 2020, Deputy Director of Criminal Investigations Department at Malawi Police Service, Isaac Norman, told reporters that a team of six senior police officers investigating allegations of abuse of women and girls last year in Msundwe and surrounding areas was given 14 days to conclude their inquiry.
“There is a timeframe for the investigations which is a maximum of 14 days everything being equal but key to this investigation is cooperation from the victims,” he said.
Almost two months have now elapsed since the police made its pronouncement of the two-week investigation period.
Some men in police uniform invaded Msundwe and assaulted, raped and defiled women and girls in what was viewed as an act of retaliation following the death of Imedi.
A mob in the area stoned Imedi to death when he led a team of police officers to stop people who wanted to block the road so that their counterparts should not attend President Peter Mutharika’s rally held in another location of Lilongwe.
