Malawi: 'Silencing Us' - Hrdc Drags Ngora to Court in Explosive Deregistration Showdown

What the report says

Malawi’s NGO regulator, the NGO Regulatory Authority (NGORA), and the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) are headed to the High Court in Lilongwe on 12 November 2026 over the coalition’s deregistration. According to the report published by Nyasa Times and distributed by AllAfrica, HRDC is seeking judicial review and an injunction to stop the deregistration while the regulator prepares to defend its decision.

NGORA says it removed HRDC from the register after what it described as repeated breaches of regulatory requirements. HRDC, one of Malawi’s better-known civil society groups, has rejected that move as unreasonable and says the action is politically motivated. The coalition argues that the decision is meant to curb its human rights advocacy and watchdog role.

The court hearing will first be held inter partes, meaning both sides will present arguments, after the court declined HRDC’s request for an ex parte process. NGORA spokesperson Laston Chinkudzu said the regulator is ready to present its side. The outcome could determine whether HRDC regains legal standing as a registered NGO and access to funding channels tied to that status. The dispute has broader significance because it touches on how far Malawi’s regulators can go in policing civil society activity and what protections advocacy groups retain even after deregistration.