Young Human Rights Defenders Implore Rise in Social Media Disinformation by Polical Operators

The Young Human Rights Defenders Network (YHRDN) has condemned some political party operatives abusing the social media to champion their selfish ambitions.

The condemnation comes in the wake of some individuals disguising as Malawi Congress Party well wishers who have been using social media platforms to tarnish the good image of a financial institution, the 23 Century Systems Limited currently working with Account General’s department.

Writing on Malawi and Politics WhatsApp forum the visibly mercenary operatives tried to implicate the Information Technology (IT) company as the reason behind the failure by the department to discharge its duties efficiently.

“Sabotage at the Accountant General’s Department is the work of 23 Century, a Zimbabwean Information Technology financial firm which donated K6 million towards this year’s Mlhakho wa Lhomwe cultural festival,” reads the message in part.

The message also tries to implicate the firm’s head and IT specialist working at the department’s headquarters, Prosper Mopiwa as a staunch Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) ardent follower who was part of the 2019-2020 rigging team.

Efforts to get Prosper Mopiwa’s side of the story or any official working with 23 Century Systems Limited proved futile as they were reported to be attending to other important matters related to their work.

Meanwhile, the YHRDN has described the allegations level led against the 23 Century Systems Limited as baseless, malicious and fabrications only aimed at scoring a mark to please some frustrated agents spending sleepless nights plotting on how to dent the image of the firm which assisted Malawi government in dealing away with the infamous cashgate scandal which led to the donor community suspending aid.

YHRDN’s chairperson, Mervin Nxumayo said it is very unfortunate that some political operatives would like to interfere with the daily running of government business in strategic points just to score a mark in fulfillment of their egos.

“We conducted thorough investigation into the matter, no official at 23rd Century has ever supported the Mulhakho wa Lhomwe with the claimed amount of K6 million and the 23rd Century is really an international company dully procured, after all the law in Malawi do not prohibit government departments to seek their services when they have the capacity,” Nxumayo said.

It has now become a common practice where by some social media noise makers are being used to tarnish the image of successful service providers working with government or state agencies.