Human Rights Defenders Condemn the Appointment of New Police Inspector General

A group of Human Rights defenders has condemned President Professor Peter Mutharika for appointing Rodney Jose as Acting Inspector General of Malawi Police.

The grouping which consists of 22 human rights organizations has questioned the commitment of the present administration to address the problems rocking the country.

A press statement signed by three leaders of civil society organisations says the appointment of Mr Jose who is a murder suspect has left them vindicated.

“2012 Robert Chasowa commission of enquiry report findings are replete with very shocking details that perfectly Rodney Jose one key suspect of the death of university of Malawi polytechnic student,” say the human rights defenders

As such they want his appointment suspended immediately before it goes to parliament for approval.

The human rights defenders say they cannot trust parliamentarians going by how they betrayed Malawians in the manner they have handled the electoral reforms bill and the recent 4 billion kwacha scam.

“These two recent examples show that the current crop of members of parliament do not have the interests of Malawians at heart and are therefore unpredictable when it comes to representing Malawians on issues of national importance like these,” they add

The human rights defenders say evidence shows that there are a lot of allegations that Jose is partisan.

The civil society say they also raised similar concerns in 2012 when Mr. Jose was appointed deputy inspector general but president Mutharika ignored them as he has always done on various issues of national importance.

“Much as they believe that everyone is innocent until proven guilty by the competent court of law they hold that high government offices must be occupied by people of integrity and moral standing especially at a time like this when vices like impunity, corruption and abuse of power have been institutionalized,” explains the Human Rights Defenders

They say are not questioning the powers of the president to appoint but how he is exercising these powers.

The human rights defenders have therefore appealed to Malawians of good will not to allow him to be acting inspector general.

They have also appealed to Mutharika to suspend all the appointments he has made as they are not gender balanced.

“This administration continues to violate gender equality act which is clear about appointing not less than 40 percent and not more than 60percent of either sex in public service,” stress the Civil Society

The Human Rights Defenders say if these issues are not addressed they will add them on the agenda for the planned nationwide demonstrations.