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

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

Hajat was a member of the executive in the United Democratic Front.[4]

Activism

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

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

References

  1. ↑ Activist Rafiq Hajat dies
  2. ↑ "Malawi: Activist's office burns, govt blamed: News". Africareview.com. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  3. 1 2 3 "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)
  4. 1 2 3 "IRIN Africa | MALAWI: IRIN interview with democracy activist, Rafiq Hajat | Malawi | Governance". Irinnews.org. 19 November 2001. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  5. ↑ Mzungu, Watipaso (13 September 2021). "Chakwera mourns human rights activist Rafiq Hajat". Nyasa Times. Retrieved 18 September 2021.
  6. ↑ "Rafiq Hajat's Page - Voices Against Corruption". Voices-against-corruption.ning.com. 23 June 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  7. ↑ "BBC News - Malawi activists 'in hiding after Mutharika threat'". Bbc.co.uk. 25 July 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  8. ↑ "DPP thugs 'smoke out' activist Hajat offices | Malawi news, Malawi - NyasaTimes breaking online news source from Malawi". Nyasatimes.com. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
  9. ↑ Chavula, Mengi (14 September 2021). "Malawians mourn activist Hajat". The Nation Online. Retrieved 19 September 2021.
  10. ↑ Banda, Sam (14 September 2021). "Malawians mourn Rafik Hajat". The Times (Malawi).
  11. ↑ "The Front Line Defenders Award". Front Line. 2012. Archived from the original on 7 June 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2012.


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