Hon. Mudford Zachariah Mwandenga
Honorable Commissioner Mudford Zachariah Mwandenga was elected to the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) on 6th February 2020 and was sworn in during the 28th Extra-Ordinary Session of the ACHPR on 29 June 2020. He is the second Commissioner elected to the ACHPR from Zambia after Honourable Mumba Malila who is now a judge of the Supreme Court of Zambia.
Commissioner Mwandenga is the Chairperson for the Working Group on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and Vice Chairperson of the Working Group on Extractive Industries, Environment and Human Rights Violations in Africa as well as a Member of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of People Living With HIV (PLHIV) and Those at Risk, Vulnerable to and Affected by HIV.
He is responsible for monitoring human rights in Ethiopia, Ghana, Liberia, Malawi and Rwanda.
Commissioner Mwandenga is an Advocate of the High Court of Zambia having been admitted to the Zambian bar on the 17 December 1982 and has been practising law in Zambia since that time. He has practiced law as a Legal Aid Counsel in the Legal Aid Department, Legal Officer in Ministry of Decentralization, Legal Officer, Senior Legal Officer and Legal Counsel in the Zambia National Building Society, Legal Counsel in the Zambia Industrial and Mining Corporation Technical Committee on Privatisation, Legal Counsel and Director of Corporate Services in the Zambia Development Agency.
He is currently the Managing Partner in Messrs. M Z Mwandenga & Company; a firm of Legal Practitioners in Zambia dealing with civil litigation, human rights law, employment law, corporate and commercial law, conveyancing and family law.
Since 13 July 2016, he has been the Chairperson of the Zambia Human Rights Commission. He is currently serving his second and last term as Chairperson (and member) of the Zambia Human Rights Commission.
He is also a member of the Steering Committee of the Network of African National Human Rights Institutions (NANHRI) since 8 November 2017 representing the Southern Region; a position he will hold until the next biennial meeting of NANHRI in 2021.
From the 28 October 2018, he also serves a Commissioner of the Small Claims Court in Zambia
Commissioner Mwandenga is fluent in English.
