Activist Kamangira call for resignation of Chief Justice: Dean of law says ‘childish’

June 3, 2020 Owen Khamula - Nyasa Times 70 Comments

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: Says the legal costs ordered by court to be paid should not be honoured by Treasury
Phillip Kamangira is a known member of the governing DPP

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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70 replies on “Activist Kamangira call for resignation of Chief Justice: Dean of law says ‘childish’”

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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 and Chilima have been able to pay for these legal costs?? These are our taxes and the assertion that we are paying for MEC incompetence is rubbish. One needs to check the amounts of money that have been syphoned from government through the courts to know that judiciary yathu is the epicenter of corruption.

    1. Kuli mbava sukunama. This profession stinks. Our judiciary is dirty. Kuseriko akukagawana kuyambira Ku concourt, supreme court impala machina gwalidi.

  6. 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.

      1. No amene sazalamulanso ndi a MCP. pokhapokha pabwere Candidate wina osati Chakwera. There is no way Chakwera angakhale president wa Dziko lino.

  7. 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

  8. Mmene ukuwonekera mutu wa Kamangilamu mungakhale nzeru mmenemu? Mutu ngati wa chiboli. Mwayi wake masiku anu dziboli sidzikuwoneka. Ofuna kuwona chiboli adzipita kwa Kamangila.

  9. Asiyeni adye dollar, anagwira ntchito yotamandika.
    10 billion nkachaninso, ndi dollar tikuononga pa fresh elections?
    Ndi zawo zimenezo, anagwira ntchito.

  10. MCP and UTM are trying to defraud government money. The services of their lawyers cannot be K9 billion. What job did they do?

    1. ngati simumatha kuwelenga pitani kwa odziwa akuwelengeleni comment from Dean of Law.

  11. These judges are thieves. So 12 lawyers are to share K9.7 billion. For a job of less than a year. Even the madise himself is a crook.

    1. Malawi Saving Bank had what were deemed toxic loans, huge sums lost to crooks and it was sold to a crook… and one of the biggest crooks got some billions last week and has not paid back. And guess which bank this crook collected the money from??? same bank owned by the crook that wanted to bribe judges Let’s be hollistic and objective in our analysis and critisism.

  13. Kamangira ,
    How far did you go with ur education ?
    Wat one doesn’t kno , must learn from their friends.
    Kamangira , if you don’t kno about law and how lawyers work , u beta shut up ur mouth.
    Mec hired south afrikan lawyers but u saw nothing in that.
    Beta Mec pays the said monies than letting it go with its incompetence

    If anything, u beta blame Mec n Apm for appealing the case cos the more one appeals , the more costs they incurr.
    Ana achepa awa !! kkķkk

    After all, JUSTICE IS EXPENSIVE to get it.

  16. I don’t think Kamangira is an activist but the truth is that the money is too much

    1. The money it’s too much in ur opinion koma ndimomwe ziyenera kukhalira

  18. Useless cadets kamangira and team ….you should blame APM and Jane Ansah for this.

    Again APM and his administration have stolen huge sums of our taxes … where were the concerned citizens… MANYAKA!!!

  19. Well, k9 billion legal fees is way too much. This another proof of fraudulent judiciary. Are you trying to finance tonse alliance campaign or what?

  21. Kamangira uyambe polipira ma lawyer aku Jon aja almost MK1Bn usayambire pakati ntchitoyi. Komanso utithandize abweze MK11Bn Mulli Leston ija ampatsa mwezi wathayi! Nnaiwala imodzi MK145m anapatsa Pitala ija ukatero ine msonkho ndiona kuti ukugwira ntchito moyenera

  23. In fact this was part of the agreement to rule in favour of the petetioners and the money is to be divided among the lawyers, judges, and principal petetioners. If you recall Potani said MEC should not worry about the cost because it will paid by government.
    To defeat this theft government should propose to pay over a period of 10 years.

  24. Kamangira, you are obviously a simple clown. Those fees are justifiable, MEC should pay, they lost the case. They had no business going to the court in an attempt to assist DPP.

  25. HAS HE NOT RESIGNED YET? He certified the May 2019 elections by swearing in the President. To swear in the President, he must have checked and counter checked all the processes were in order. He cannot deny his own signature. No Mr. Chief Justice. RESIGN
    For Mvalo to say that there were 8 lawyers for the opposition, who decided this massive number? Ok this may have required procurement procedures to be followed. How do you subject the Treasury to pay something that was not subjected to procurement procedures.

    You guys are sick and THIS IS PURE THEFT.

  26. Did this man called Kamangira go to school to understand how Lawyers charge for cases? I agree with Madise, this man is childish. In fact not only childish but also chindele. Continue being used by DPP, but you will not win. Munaluza mulandu basi.

  27. Kulibwino adye maloya oyimila chilungamo.osati ndalama zomwezo azipereka kwa zigawenga zootcha nyumba anthu osalakwa akugona palibe vuto awombola malawi maloyawa.mulungu awadalitse.

  29. Mutu uwu ukugwira koma? Chibekete cheni cheni! Do you remember how many days were spent at the court ndi mbwerera za ma lawyer a MEC and the president? Akulu look out and SEE! Tsopano akutenga ma compensation ukuti nawo bwanji?

  30. Yes losers do pay the bills. Why did you shut your big mouth when ansah and NTCHONA were busy siphoning money out through dubious SOUTH AFRICAN LAWYERS. Look at chinkhope ngati agogo omwewo.

  31. If DPP and MEC won this case they could have been asked to pay this fees and this idiot could not have been calling the resignation of the chief just. Silly cow

  32. Such ignorant and dull people should NOT even be given time on air. They can spoil proper thinking of our children. Total rubbish, such people should be ignored. Let them eat, shit and sleep the country won’t lose anything.

  33. I have gone through all comments. The judiciary acted within the laws. Mr Kamangira has not calculated all the other preparations etc. Such ignorance and lack of knowledge is exactly what caused MEC to error. Do not come to news podiums with half baked research. You have only ashamed yourself.

  35. We know that DPP are using you but you won’t succeed with your motive because they are entitled to such amount because of the stupidity of MEC and DPP Government.Their corrupt means has costed them.Do you know how much the Government paid the MEC Commissioners to favour the DPP?.We can not be fooled by you stupid Kamangira just because the DPP has given you money.To hell with your boss APM.

  36. They slammed AG for a 600 million bill for SA lawyers and they are demanding 9.2 billion
    Search me!

    1. 600 million was for only 2 days, and do ur simple calculations if one lawyer was spending 9 hours attending to the case a day and the regulations subscribes them to 60,000 per hour, how many months did they spend in court. the world over, litigation is not expensive but very expensive. atola chikwama ma lawyer chifukwa cha utsiru wa kaphale ndi MEC

  37. This is robbery. K9.7bn is a lot of for legal fees. That’s another part of the weakness of the judgement giving an open cheque to these crooks. Fight to the nail till the right amount is paid. That’s where the attorney general should come in.

    1. What about the money DPP paid to Laston Mulli?If you know nothing you better shut up.UTM/MCP were you using lawyers and if you don’t know lawyers they do charge pay hour.

    2. The attorney general himself pocketed money equivalent to what MEC was paying South African lawyers, remember? So he ought to be paying that money back before he can come in this issue.

    4. The Attorney General was paid Billions from MEC yet was on the Government Payroll which angered the Court

    6. ATTORNEY general sidzikumukhuza akulu its the registrar of the court who does the assessment of the costs after lawyers from both parties have agreed of the bill, may be you don’t know ,

  39. It is wrong but also embarrassing to display ignorance to the public. The issue of tax payers incurring high and avoidable legal fees is due to the incompetence of Jane Ansah, MEC Commissioners and their appointing authority. Imagine Jane Ansah and her Commissioners shamefully shied away from the court proceedings.You cannot blame the Modecai Mssihas and their legal team that spent hours of research on the case, used their brains(human capital) , effectively argued the case and in the end won the court case. Kaphale and his team must also share the blame for wasting our tax money and lost the case miserably and embarrassingly.

  40. Blame DPP and MEC for messing up our country to reach this far on mediocrity, if we had credible elections,lets learn to be professional in our work ethics, this is huge money that could have transformed poor lives, but political mediocrity by DPP and MEC has cost this country terribly!!!

  41. When a business man who has Our 7 billion gets 11billion ,Mr Kamangira remains Silent ….How can Government Pay Someone Yemwe Ali ndi Ndalama Zathu zaku MSB …Osachoserana bwanji ? .Umatoziwirathu kuti ndi NGO ya CADET ….

  42. And you say judiciary is perfect in Malawi backing the looting of public funds without any Mercy at all.Where is HRDC? Kapena adya nawo ndiye Ali phee my Malawi zomvetsa chisoni

    1. We told you that this Jane Ansah of yours is going to cost this country much, you thought we are mad and stupid, Pay the cost! And now this is just the start of pains you and your Jane created.

        1. This money is not going to the Parliament for approval! Rather if you would say it has to go to the Tax Master, i would agree with you. By the way, this is not ndalama zoti wina watola pamene anawona anthu angapo ayi, this is to pay some one who has done a good job. So lets pay guys.

    3. Mr Dean of law kaya kuti kaya. Where on
      earth does a lawyer trivialize someone’s opinion. Even layman know it’s healthy to debate let alone lawyers. The problem with our country is everything is politicized. Even professionals like you basi masweka mitu? Be objective and fair otherwise we will not respect your graduates!!!

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