The Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has faced criticism following its assessment of Malawi’s national budget, with Nyasa Times reporting that HRDC said the budget lacks clear, measurable reform plans and does not spell out how proposed reforms will be implemented or how success will be measured. Nyasa Times reports that HRDC acknowledged the Finance Minister’s description of difficult economic conditions, but argued the budget falls short on execution details, prompting social media commenters to question the group’s relevance and suggest political bias.
Separately, the Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources has criticised Lilongwe City Council over delays in compensating households affected by a planned landfill project, according to The Times Group. The Times Group reports that the committee queried why about K400 million in compensation for 136 households had not been paid despite council revenue said to be over K1.5 billion per month, warning that the delay is stalling the planned closure of the Area 38 dumpsite once the $37 million landfill near Nalikule College of Education is developed.