Activist Kamangira call for resignation of Chief Justice: Dean of law says ‘childish’
A pro-government activist Philip Kamangira who leads Centre for Mindset Change (CMC), a civil society organisation (CSO), is calling for the resignation of Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda after the Supreme Court of Appeal ordered Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to pay Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and UTM K9.7 billion in legal fees.
Kamangira said legal costs – which will be paid by taxpayers -is on the higher side and said ‘Concerned Citizens’ would pressure Treasury not to release the money.
“We want to find out how the court arrived at this figure. This is unfair. We will now push for the resignation of the Chief Justice himself,” said Kamangira.
He said the K9 billion fees is astronomical figure.
“This is very unjustifiable, it is not logic in nature and we find it as a process wanting to loot money from the citizens who happen to be taxpayers.
“We will do everything to make sure such amount is not [be paid],” said Kamangira.
Reacting to the development, Sunduzwayo Madise, dean of law at Chancellor College—a constituent college of the University of Malawi, said sums of that nature are arrived at after meeting all concerned parties.
He said this means the state and the opposition parties lawyers met with the judges for the assessment of the costs.
Madise, who is also commissioner of the tax-funded Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) described the calling of the resignation of the Chief Justice as “childish”.
Lawyer Titus Mvalo, who represented second petitioner Lazarus Chakwera in the presidential election case, said his team billed MEC K6.2 billion because they had eight lawyers in ConCourt.
First petitioner Saulos Chilima’s had four lawyers and billed MEC to pay them K2.7 billion.
The costs cover, among other things, the period the lawyers spent preparing for the case, court attendance, care and conduct, instruction fee, disbursement and taxation costs. They are charges are per hour. A minimum hourly rate for a senior counsel is K60 000, for a lawyer with not less than 10 years it is K40 000, and for lawyers with less than 10 years at the bar, it is K30 000.
Governance analyst Henry Chingaipe said effectively the legal costs will amount to “paying for the incompetence of MEC.”
Another governance analyst Makhumbo Munthali suggested that it is high time public officers who demonstrate incompetence in court cases should be personally liable for the legal costs.
He said such a punishment would act as a deterrent against possible abuse of taxpayers’ money by partisan officers.
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MUTU wake umenewo angamuvere ndani kkkk
THIS KAMANGILA’S MUST B FULL OF WATER.THESE SOME OF THE MOST STUPID MALAWIANS THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE DOWNFALL OF PROFESSOR PETER MUTHALIKA.WHERE WAS THE LEARNED ATTORNEY GENERAL TO AVOID THESE LEGAL COSTS? WHERE WAS THE LEARNED SUPREME COURT JUDGE DR JANE ANSAH ? SLOPPINESS IN DOING THINGS HAS A COST.
Don’t listen to this cadet. If it were get requesting for compensation, he would support idea knowing that e could have his share in that. He is both a money monger and an opportunist. Even his looks tells a lot of stories about his cadetship. kkkkkkk your time is over.
This man has a point for a long time now some of us have been concerned with the justice for the rich image that our courts consistently demonstrates in their discharge of justice from accessing court premises, issuing of summons, paying for legal fees and expedition of hearings and judgement. It is obvious courts in Malawi don’t serve poor people and this exorbitant amount in legal fees justify the theory that courts are now a good layering stage in money laundering and theft of public resources schemes that plagues Malawi today. This is clearly procurement by the courts. Would Chakwera… Read more »
Kuli mbava sukunama. This profession stinks. Our judiciary is dirty. Kuseriko akukagawana kuyambira Ku concourt, supreme court impala machina gwalidi.
Akuti kufuna kukoza zithu nanaga akalowa boma cashgate yeniyeni
Sizikugwirizana court cases are costly thats a fact
Zoziyamba dala. Mutu ngati kalabwi umawona ngati ndimasewera. Mpakana kukatenga na lawyer apa Joni? Muwona simunati . I swear to God DPP ikhala ku opposition mwezi wamawa wina afune asafune Chakwera and Chilima will form the government mbava zachabechabe.
Sazalamulanso a dpp
No amene sazalamulanso ndi a MCP. pokhapokha pabwere Candidate wina osati Chakwera. There is no way Chakwera angakhale president wa Dziko lino.
You stupid Kamangira, you better talk abit the taxpayers’ money spent by Jane Ansah + her outdated MEC on the SA lawyers than this less value and profitable funds. Think twice or go back to school
Mmene ukuwonekera mutu wa Kamangilamu mungakhale nzeru mmenemu? Mutu ngati wa chiboli. Mwayi wake masiku anu dziboli sidzikuwoneka. Ofuna kuwona chiboli adzipita kwa Kamangila.
Chiboli,Chim,bampha!
Asiyeni adye dollar, anagwira ntchito yotamandika.
10 billion nkachaninso, ndi dollar tikuononga pa fresh elections?
Ndi zawo zimenezo, anagwira ntchito.
MCP and UTM are trying to defraud government money. The services of their lawyers cannot be K9 billion. What job did they do?
ngati simumatha kuwelenga pitani kwa odziwa akuwelengeleni comment from Dean of Law.