Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) has criticized the Ministry of information and digitalisation for failing to fulfill the access to information law that provide space for citizens to access information easily.

According to the commissioner of MHRC, Chikondi Chijozi, the ministry has failed to publish the names of officials who are responsible for publishing information in various branches and companies in national newspapers as required by law.

Chijozi said that his organization has been meeting with the ministry several times, which he says is disappointing that as of today, nothing tangible has been done following these meetings.

“The Minister of Information and Digitalisation has not been publishing the names of appointed or designated information officers as required by the access to information law contrary to the access to information Regulation act of 2017 that states the minister shall publish names of information officers in at least two newspapers of nationwide circulation.

“MHRC has engaged the minister on several occasion through writing and physical meetings but it has not yielded any positive results, said Chijozi in a statement,”

The Access to information acts aims at making provision for access to information that is held by information holders and ensuring that public bodies disclose information that they hold and provide information in line with the constitutional principles of public trust and good governance.