HRDC split widens over Mutharika’s private trip
Sammy Aaron says the HRDC leadership has o moral ground to demand accountability about president Peter Mutharika 's South Africa trip
fresh dispute has emerged within the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), with the organization’s Ad-Hoc Committee publicly distancing itself from a recent statement issued by the coalition regarding President Arthur Peter Mutharika’s private trip.
The Ad-Hoc Committee, led by Sammy Aaron, has criticized the position taken by the HRDC leadership, arguing that the coalition lacks the moral authority to demand accountability from the government while failing to resolve its own internal leadership disputes.
In a statement released on Thursday, HRDC Chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa welcomed the government’s communication regarding Mutharika’s private trip but said it fell short of the level of transparency expected by the public.
Kaiyatsa maintained that government communication on matters of public interest should be timely, proactive, and comprehensive in order to strengthen public confidence and trust.
However, Aaron rejected the coalition’s position, arguing that the current HRDC leadership should first address its own governance challenges before criticizing government institutions.
“HRDC cannot hold the government accountable when it is not accountable itself,” Aaron said.
Aaron further pointed to an existing High Court directive, stating that the leadership dispute within HRDC remains unresolved despite a court order requiring both parties to engage in dialogue.
“The High Court ordered both the HRDC leadership and the HRDC Ad-Hoc Committee to engage in dialogue in good faith to resolve the ongoing leadership dispute within HRDC,” Aaron said.
The latest disagreement highlights deepening divisions within one of the country’s leading human rights organizations, which has played a significant role in promoting democratic governance, accountability, and the protection of human rights in recent years.
The public disagreement is likely to raise further questions about the coalition’s internal governance and its ability to speak with one voice on national issues while its leadership dispute remains unresolved.
At the time of publication, neither the HRDC leadership nor the government had responded to Aaron’s latest remarks.
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