However, many Malawians argue that HRDC’s position deliberately ignores the core issue: accountability for the looting of national resources. “What HRDC is doing is not human rights defence, it is political activism in favour of MCP,” said one governance analyst. “Human rights should not be used as a shield for suspected thieves of public resources. Calls are now growing for HRDC to re-examine its mandate and return to genuine, non-partisan human rights advocacy. Whether HRDC will regain public trust or remain entangled in accusations of political alignment with MCP remains to be seen.