HRDC Ad Hoc Committee accuses Kaiyatsa of misleading public

The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) Ad Hoc Committee has accused the organisation’s national chairperson, Michael Kaiyatsa, of misleading the public over the status of an ongoing court case, deepening divisions within the rights body.

The committee says the dispute over HRDC’s leadership has not been concluded and remains under a court-directed mediation process.

Speaking during a press briefing in Blantyre on Wednesday, HRDC Ad Hoc Committee chairperson Henderson Mhango said claims that the High Court had conclusively determined the matter were legally incorrect.

“The High Court has not delivered any judgment on the substantive issues before it. The matter proceeded to mediation on July 23, 2026, during which Justice Howard Pemba observed governance and leadership gaps within HRDC and directed the parties to engage within 30 days to agree on an appropriate way forward,” Mhango said.

He said mediation was not a final determination of the case and warned that if the parties fail to reach an agreement, the matter will return to the High Court for trial.

Mhango accused Kaiyatsa’s leadership of portraying the matter as concluded despite the court’s mediation directions, saying such statements undermine the spirit of the mediation process and raise questions about the coalition’s commitment to resolving the dispute in good faith.

“The HRDC Ad Hoc Committee remains committed to complying with the Court’s directions and resolving the matter through the process ordered by the Court,” he said.

However, in a statement issued earlier this week, Kaiyatsa and the current HRDC leadership maintained that the High Court dismissed an application for an injunction that sought to stop them from carrying out their responsibilities.

According to the statement, Justice Howard Pemba identified governance gaps in HRDC’s Articles of Association and encouraged members to discuss how to address them within 30 days, but did not order the coalition to hold an Annual General Meeting within that period as some had claimed.

Kaiyatsa’s camp also urged the public and the media to rely on the court’s ruling and disregard what it described as misleading claims about the case.

The conflicting interpretations have exposed growing divisions within HRDC, with both factions insisting they are acting in accordance with the court’s guidance as mediation continues.