Undule Mwakasungula, a veteran governance, human rights and social commentator, has advised civil society organisations (CSOs) in the country to help build Malawi on the basis of engagement and not confrontation.
Mwakasungula said the CSOs, should not take every matter to international community or the media in confrontational matter but they should pursue “genuine national dialogue.”
He was reacting to the matter which the CSOs under the banner of Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) have written the Global Fund, asking it to rescind the nomination of President Peter Mutharika as Champion of its Sixth Replenishment Campaign.
A letter, co-signed by the forum’s chairperson Timothy Mtambo and his deputy Gift Trapence, respectively, says the fund erred in the appointment, arguing it was made without due diligence and in total disregard of Mutharika’s domestic track record.
However amother group of CSOs operating under the banner Joint Civil Society Platform on Health led Lucky Mbewe and Maxwell Matwere also wrote the fund’s executive director Peter Sands backing the appointment , saying Malawi stands to benefit with its President at the helm of the campaign.
Mwakasungula, who led Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitaion (CHRR) at the time it was also reporting former president late Bingu wa Mutharika to Geneva-based UN human rights body, said out of experience, Malawi problems will not be resolved by reporting ti the international community.
But Mtambo and Trapence dismissed Mwakasungula, saying in advocacy they use both domestic and international mechanism.
The two vocal rights defenders described the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) led government of being obstinate and beyond engagement.
In the Global Fund role, Mutharika will be responsible for coordinating activities aimed at harnessing efforts in soliciting funding pledges from countries, international organisations and individuals towards the Sixth Global Fund Replenishing Conference to be held in France in 2019.
The Global Fund is a Geneva-based international organisation that aims to mobilise, leverage and invest additional resources to end HIV and Aids, tuberculosis and malaria epidemics to support the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations. – Nyasa Times
