Rafiq Hajat
Rafiq Hajat (14 September 1955 – 13 September 2021[1]) was a prominent Malawian civil rights activist.[2] He was born in Blantyre.[3] He was the director for the Institute for Policy Interaction (IPI) in Malawi.[3]
He received a B.A. in political science at Saint Xavier College in Mumbai,India in 1975.[3]
Career[edit]
Vice president of the country's chamber of commerce and industry, chairman of DEMAT, the Development of Malawian Traders' Trust, and also founding director of the Institute for Policy Interaction (IPI).[4] He has worked at the Malawi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and has been a board member with Small Enterprise Development Organisation of Malawi and the Development of Malawi Traders Trust.[5]
Political career[edit]
Hajat was a member of the executive in the United Democratic Front.[4]
Activism[edit]
Hajat was the founding director of the Institute for Policy Interaction (IPI)[4] and was the founder of Transparency International - Malawi Chapter.[6] Hajat and Malawi Democratic Party (MDP) president Kamlepo Kalua formed a Forum for the Defence of Democracy a pressure group on governance concerns under the Mutharika administration.
Hajat was one of the main civil society organizers of the 20 July Ultimatum and 20 July nationwide economic protests.[7] This forced him to go into hiding for a few days, but later he continued to organize the subsequent protests.
On 2 September 2011, the offices of the IPI were burned whilst Hajat was traveling to Lilongwe.[8]
Death[edit]
Hajat died on the early morning of 13 September 2021 while being airlifted to South Africa after having a heart attack.[9] He was buried later that day at Westpark Cemetery in Johannesburg.[10]
Accolades[edit]
- 2012, Hajat was a finalist for the Front Line Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk, which ultimately went to Syrian blogger Razan Ghazzawi.[11]
References[edit]
- ^ Activist Rafiq Hajat dies
- ^ "Malawi: Activist's office burns, govt blamed: News". Africareview.com. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
- ^ a b c "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ a b c "IRIN Africa | MALAWI: IRIN interview with democracy activist, Rafiq Hajat | Malawi | Governance". Irinnews.org. 19 November 2001. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
- ^ Mzungu, Watipaso (13 September 2021). "Chakwera mourns human rights activist Rafiq Hajat". Nyasa Times. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
- ^ "Rafiq Hajat's Page - Voices Against Corruption". Voices-against-corruption.ning.com. 23 June 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
- ^ "BBC News - Malawi activists 'in hiding after Mutharika threat'". Bbc.co.uk. 25 July 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
- ^ "DPP thugs 'smoke out' activist Hajat offices | Malawi news, Malawi - NyasaTimes breaking online news source from Malawi". Nyasatimes.com. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
- ^ Chavula, Mengi (14 September 2021). "Malawians mourn activist Hajat". The Nation Online. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
- ^ Banda, Sam (14 September 2021). "Malawians mourn Rafik Hajat". The Times (Malawi).
- ^ "The Front Line Defenders Award". Front Line. 2012. Archived from the original on 7 June 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
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