Malawi HRDC leadership dispute deepens as court orders mediation

The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) in Malawi is embroiled in a leadership feud after an ad hoc committee accused chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa of misleading the public about a court battle over his position. Committee chair Henderson Mhango said the High Court, presided by Justice Howard Pemba, never ruled on the injunction sought to block Kaiyatsa and instead referred both sides to mediation, giving them 30 days to resolve governance and constitutional gaps.

Kaiyatsa acknowledged the mediation order but maintained that the court declined the injunction. The dispute, which began with court proceedings in April, also involves demands for full disclosure of donor funding, a delayed annual general meeting and fresh elections, after the committee’s attempts to resolve the crisis through consultations with bodies such as the NGO Regulatory Authority failed.