PEACE AND UNITY

CHAPTER 18:10
PEACE AND UNITY

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

    SECTION

PART I
PRELIMINARY

    1.    Short title

    2.    Interpretation

PART II
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MALAWI PEACE AND UNITY COMMISSION

    3.    Malawi Peace and Unity Commission

    4.    Functions of the Commission

    5.    Appointment and composition of the Commission

    6.    Procedure for appointing members of the Commission

    7.    Tenure of office and vacancies

    8.    Meetings of the Commission

    9.    Committees of the Commission

PART III
SECRETARIAT OF THE COMMISSION

    10.    Secretariat of the Commission

    11.    Director General

    12.    Duties of the Director General

    13.    Removal of Director General

    14.    Other members of staff of the Commission

PART IV
DISTRICT PEACE AND UNITY COMMITTEES

    15.    Establishment of District Peace and Unity Committees

    16.    Functions of District Peace and Unity Committees

    17.    Appointment and composition of District Peace and Unity Committees

    18.    Tenure of office and vacancies of members of District Peace and Unity Committees

    19.    Meetings of District Peace and Unity Committees

    20.    Area peace and unity committees

    21.    District Peace and Unity Officer

PART V
PEACE BUILDING AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION

    22.    Unity and peace building programmes

    23.    Conflict prevention, management and resolution

    24.    Access to, and disclosure of, information

    25.    Evidence not admissible in court

    26.    Settlement agreement

    27.    Powers of the Commission

    28.    Commission to maintain register

    29.    Roster of experts

    30.    Deployment of experts

    31.    Assistance by a public officer or public institution

    32.    Reference to Commission to include District Peace and Unity Committee, etc.

PART VI
FINANCIAL PROVISIONS

    33.    Funds and property of the Commission

    34.    Peace and Unity Fund

    35.    Vesting of the Fund

    36.    Advances to the Fund

    37.    Holdings of the Fund

    38.    Accounting and audit

    39.    Allowances

PART VII
MISCELLANEOUS

    40.    Monitoring and evaluation

    41.    Disclosure of interest

    42.    Prohibition of publication or disclosure of information to unauthorized persons

    43.    Oath or affirmation of secrecy

    44.    Immunity

    45.    Reports

    46.    Regulations, rules etc.

        SCHEDULE

16 of 2022
G.N. 34/2022

    An Act to provide for a mechanism for fostering peace and unity in Malawi; the establishment, management and operation of the Malawi Peace and Unity Commission; the establishment of a national structure for conflict prevention, management and resolution; and to provide for matters incidental thereto

PART I
PRELIMINARY

1.    Short title

    This Act may be cited as the Peace and Unity Act.

2.    Interpretation

    In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires—

    “Chairperson” means the Chairperson of the Commission appointed in accordance with section 8;

    “Commission” means the Malawi Peace and Unity Commission established under section 3;

    “expert” means any person whose name appears on the roster of experts maintained by the Commission under section 28;

    “Director General” means the Director General of the Commission appointed under section 11;

    “District Commissioner” includes a Chief Executive Officer of a city or town council;

    “District Peace and Unity Committee” means a District Peace and Unity Committee established under section 15;

    “Fund” means the Peace and Unity Fund established under section 34;

    “member” means a member of the Commission appointed under section 5;

    “local government authority” means a District Council, Town Council, Municipal Council or City Council constituted under the Local Government Act;

    “Public Appointments Committee” means the Public Appointments Committee of the National Assembly; and

    “Vice-Chairperson” means the Vice-Chairperson of the Commission appointed in accordance with section 8.

PART II
ESTABLISHMENT OF THE MALAWI PEACE AND UNITY COMMISSION

3.    Malawi Peace and Unity Commission

    (1) There is hereby established the Malawi Peace and Unity Commission.

    (2) The Commission shall be a body corporate with perpetual succession and a common seal and shall be capable, by that name, of—

    (a)    doing or performing all such acts as may be necessary or expedient for the furtherance of the provisions of this Act; and

    (b)    subject to this Act, doing or performing all such acts as a body corporate may, by law, do or perform or such as are incidental or appertain to a body corporate.

    (3) The Commission shall be independent, non-partisan and impartial and shall not be subject to the direction or control of any person or authority in the performance of its functions.

4.    Functions of the Commission

    (1) The Commission shall be the highest umbrella body and focal point for promoting unity, peace building and use of amicable conflict prevention, management and resolution mechanisms in Malawi.

    (2) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (1), the functions of the Commission shall be to—

    (a…