Vera Mlangazua Chirwa (born 1932) is a Malawian born lawyer and human and civil rights activist. She was Malawi's first female lawyer and a founding member of the Malawi Congress Party. She fought for multiparty democratic rule in Malawi and was charged with treason, tried and sentenced to death by the authoritarian Kamuzu Banda regime.[1] She spent 12 years on death row.[2] She was married to lawyer Orton Chirwa, Malawian Minister of Justice and Attorney General.[2]
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Vera Chirwa was born in Malawi (then Nyasaland) in 1932.
In the early 1950s, Vera Chirwa joined forces with Rose Chibambo to form the Nyasaland African Women's League, which worked with the Nyasaland African Congress to gain Nyasaland's separation from the unpopular Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland.[3] She became Nyasaland's first female lawyer, and was a founding member of the Malawi Congress Party in 1959.[4] After Nyasaland gained self-government in 1961 and became the independent state of Malawi two years later, Orton Chirwa, Vera’s husband became a senior figure in the new government as Minister of Justice and Attorney General.[4]
After having a falling out with Kumuzu Banda, Vera Chirwa and Orton Chirwa were declared enemies of the state.[5] They went into exile shortly after.
The couple were forced into exile in Tanzania a few weeks later by the authoritarian Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda. They lived in Tanzania, but traveled to Zambia, Great Britain and the United States of America.[6] On Christmas Eve 1981, Vera and Orton Chirwa were kidnapped in the East of Zambia by Malawi security forces and taken back to Malawi to face charges of high treason.[2] The Chirwas, both lawyers, conducted their own defence. After a trial lasting 2 months, they were found guilty even though the evidence against them had not been proved. They were both sentenced to death.[2] On the day of the trial Vera defiantly raised her hand to speak and looking the magistrate straight in the eye asked him on what grounds they were accused. Questioning the court was forbidden and the response she received was, "Nothing but you are culprit!".[2] The couple were taken to the notorious central prison in Zomba (a prison with a terrible reputation). According to Chirwa, "En route we forgave the people who gave false testimonies, the judges and even the President." It was the last time they traveled together.[2]
Conditions in the female ward were tough.[2] Vera was subjected to torture and other forms of brutality. She slept on the cement floor, refused to eat the vile food, and was denied visitors, letters from her husband and the right to go outside.[2] She remained in prison on death row for 12 years but remained hopeful for release.[2] She credits her Christian faith for enabling her to keep hope and faith.[2] In 1990 Amnesty International launched an urgent action to release Orton and Vera. In autumn 1992, when a delegation of British legal experts was allowed to pay them a visit, the Chirwas were allowed to see one another again for the first time in 8 years.[2] Ortan died in his cell 3 weeks later at the age of 73. She was not able to attend the funeral.[2]
President Kamuzu Banda, appointed for life, pardoned her for "humanitarian reasons", and she was released on January 24, 1993 when the country was transitioning to a multi-party state following the end of Banda’s dictatorial regime.[2].
Twelve years of prison coupled with physical and mental torture did not conquer her will or end her life. Since 2000 she has been Special Reporter on prison conditions in Africa for the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights. She also founded the NGO Malawi Centre for Advice, Research and Education on Rights (Malawi CARER) and heads this organization.[2] She campaigns for an end of the death penalty.[2] She has continued her fight for human and political rights under the Bakili Muluzi and the Bingu wa Mutharika governments.[5] She also works for Womens Voice, a gender rights organization.[6]
Vera Chirwa continues to fight for political rights and has attempted to stand as an independent candidate for president, a challenging task in a country with a party system for someone who is not an established politician.[6][6]
The Vera Chirwa Human Rights award is awarded by the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria in South Africa to an individual “who best epitomises the true African human rights lawyer” and has “made an outstanding contribution to the protection and promotion of human rights in Africa.”[7] Recipients are alumni of the Master of Laws programs in Human Rights and Democratization at the University of Pretoria.[7]