Ansah says Malawi lawyers reject MEC in poll annulment appeal: ‘Hence splashing K600m to South Africa legal team’
Embattled Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chairperson Jane Ansah has said Malawi lawyers issued a resounding rejection of the commission to represent it in the presidential election annulment appeal at the Supreme Court hence they hired South African lawyers to cost the tax-payer a whopping K600 million (USD 788,500).
Ansah told delegates to the National Elections Consultative Forum (Necof) meeting in Blantyre on Friday the electoral body took a costly decision to bring in foreign lawyers on the appeal case at the cost of K600 million after all local lawyers were rejecting the body.
“All lawyers in Malawi were refusing to take up the case,” said Ansah, who is also a Supreme Court of Appeal judge.
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) publicity secretary Maurice Munthali had sought clarification from MEC on why it hired lawyers from South Africa.
Ansah said Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale who defended its case at Constitutinal Court at taxpayers’ expense and miserably lost the case with costs, again to be borne by the taxpayer, could not continue because the Court ruled he should stop representing the matter.
She said all local lawyers declined to represent the body and as such it had no choice but to source elsewhere.
MEC has come under public fire for spending the astronomical figure of money to pay foreign lawyers with people arguing that if the appeal case has merit, MEC can win it in the Supreme Court without importing lawyers from South Africa at the cost to the taxpayer of K600 million.
Commentators say there are many better ways to spend that amount for the good of the taxpayer.
Influentical newspaper columnist Backbencher wrote in the Weekend Nation: “In case MEC Commissioners don’t know, our public hospitals have no drugs and poor Malawians go there for diagnosis and prescription then end up buying expensive drugs in better stocked private hospitals or pharmacies. The money we’re forced to waste could’ve been better used in the procurement of drugs to save lives, not egos.
“MEC should also be reminded that in this 21st Century our children still get killed when walls of substandard classroom blocks fall on them while they are in class. Our children also get killed when dry branches of their under-the-tree open air classes fall on their tender bodies, smashing their heads in the process. Chiefs should tell MEC that in this day and age, our children are being swept away to their premature deaths as they try to cross swollen rivers without bridges while walking to or from school.”
The columnist continued to write that: “Universities should tell MEC that many of our brilliant young men and women are withdrawn from colleges just because they can’t afford fees and the meagre resources allocated to Higher Education Students Loans and Grants Board do not meet the demand by far.”
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How can it be that all local lawyers declined yet there are reports that they are petitioning MLS for approving the retaining of the foreign lawyers. If indeed they had declined they wouldn’t be petitioning MLS. Jane Ansah is not telling the real truth here.
MEC should hire foreign lawyers. Our judges have said democracy and justice is expensive.
She needs to be reminded effectively that all political parties have the right to be compensated the money they lost during the last elections. They have a legal right to ask for their money from MEC. I will do everything to milk her our money.
That money will come from taxpayers. And that is when people will know that politicians are there to enrich themselves.
Penapake ndichonchi 1+1=2 Nfiti ansah atumiza zindalama zakhanikhani ku SA nthawi yomweyo mr Bakili muluzi ali ku SA =
China chomvetsa chisoni ndichakuti anthu ena opusa akuuza matola kuti apepese nfiti ansah 😐inu zikukondweletsani zimene akupanga nfiti ansah?Munthu opanda ulemu ndi nzeru zomwe ngati uyu sininamuonepo 😈😈😈nfiti yothelatu 🔥🔥🔥upite kwa nfiti ansah 😈zindalama akupatsa zitsiru zina zaku SA zoona dziko la Malawi 🇲🇼 ndiyekuti chilichonse chilibwino?Zopusa kwambiri ndipo uyu sioyenera kukhala pampando umenewo.
Matola needs to apologise unless his own mother is not a woman who puts on nyanda and bra.
We still have some stupid Malawians who want the govt to be doing what tthey do in their homes. Go ahead MEC.
You heard it from the horse’s mouth you local lawyers. You are scared to represent MEC or, better still, incompetent. Maybe all most of you know is squeezing every Tambala from unsuspecting victims.
Please show this woman Ansah that you are no such thing.
An expense worth spending but sadly the judiciary already made their decision on this case and that is to throw out anything to do with MEC and APM.the judges mostly those from the north are driven by hate and envy. APM has been stupid not to appoint his people in the judiciary all the eight years that he has been president and that is why He is facing resistance from these judges who all originate from the north.
Our judiciary is OVER dominated by judges from the north and lawyers from the north.
Have you ever asked why it is like that? All the presidents we have had in this country have found it in their wisdom to retain these so called northerners for a reason, one reason only. They are good at what they do. Bright and intelligent otherwise they could have been replaced long time ago.
Does anyone STOP the people from South become judges? These people worked hard with their education, it’s stupid to think that they’re judges because they are from the North. A Lhomwe mumachedwa ndi Mlakho, aChawa amachedwa ndi jando. Mwana akangochoka ku jando basi no more school. So when are you gonna become judges when the South is stuck in it’s primitive traditions? Work hard in school!
We learnt that when tinpot dictator’s brother Bingu collapsed and had clearly died tinpot dictator Mutharika ordered hospital workers to continue attempts at reviving the obviously dead Bingu until they broke all his ribs and tinpot dictator Mutharika would not hear of cries to stop attempts to revive the dead Bingu. I see similarities with what is going on in the elections case– Mutharika (who is driving Ansah’s actions) will not hear voices to just comply with court orders!!!
Is this woman called Jane Ansah not long overdue for mental examination
Serial pathological liar should not be believed. This is another cooked up and blatant lie. Who can refuse K6000M in Malawi?
Even if her sick lie is to be believed, if our local lawyers are refusing to take up the case it can only mean one thing. It is a hopeless undertaking. Meaning any reasonable person should drop it because it’s a waste of time and money. But Jezebel stops at nothing.
Busisiwe Mkhwebane ( like Ombudsman in SA) has been made to settle unnecessary legal costs the institution had incurred because of her careless decisions in South Africa. Jezebel should come face the same music, she takes Malawians for granted.
asatinyase uyu hetini.???? nkhope kuuma ngati cigoba
Who with sound mind can defend the sinking ship like MEC?? No lawyer with 5 senses can risk his/her reputation by presenting MEC.
Thus why they have hire a foreign lawyers.
I have always maintained that Ms. Jane Malemu Ansah runs a criminal enterprise at MEC. She is a clever criminal. She is adding up on the USD2million she already obtained in 2019. She will make more if NOT STOPPED today.
Malawian local lawyers rejected representing MEC on appeal case for the mere fact that it is not a winnable one. Why should one tarnish his image by representing shit. This shit has come all the way from when the high court refused to grant MEC an injunction stopping the opposition from challenging the 2019 presidential results. From there on everything has gone against MEC, they have lost every inch of judicial battle but still MEC sees merit on appealing the case using foreign lawyers. I have never seen such a blind bunch of individuals. Kapena ndi njira yongofuna kubera ndalama? Tiziona mathero ake.
God has more than one million ways of solving each and every problem that Jane Ansah faces ,Malawian lawyers and judges have teamed up against MEC(Jane Ansah ) Madam IRON LADY God is about to put all your enemies to shame
Your name tells it all. Use your head and think ARSE HOLE!!!!
The first reason you gave for retaining the South African firm was that democracy is not cheap. Now you are saying oh no in fact the reason is because our local law firms declined to represent MEC…I am wondering if that include Lusungu Gondwe. Kkkkkk. Are you sure that you approached him? In any event I dont believe you at all and I believe there is something that you are not telling the nation. By the way, you could have done better by retaining the likes of Adv Dali Mpofu, Adv Maleka or Adv Barry Roux than retaining a firm that was only incorporated in 2015 & seem to specialise in debt collection and has a website that does not work at all.
At whose interest are make appealing? Tax payers say no need and are ready to vote again. So why insist òn appealing? Wastefull expenditure!!!
Achitsiiru a jane ansah awa. Vuto la uhule ndi limeneli. Sumawona poyenela kusiyila…….kuteleku zoti she has outlived her welcome sakuwona. Heheheheheheh. You deserve a bullet now jane.
Although I believe that the judiciary has raped Malawi democracy by usurping the powers of parliament, MEC is not justified to spend such ridiculous amounts to hire some dim wit SA lawyers. SA and Malawi have different legal systems so whatever the dim wit lawyers would bring to the case will likely not be of much value. UK, Nigerian or lawyers from other common law countries would have been a better option. Moreover, K600 million is money that would be better spent in addressing the needs of the common man rather than settling legal disputes. I think its time for the MEC commissioners to call it quits regardless of whether they think they are right or not. It is what is best for Malawi.
Your understanding of the Constitution is either suspect or shallow because there is no usurping of powers of Parliament here!!!! The principle of checks and balances does allow the Judiciary to review the manner in which Parliament or the Executive are carrying out their duties for compliance with the Constitution and order compliance with the Constitution!!!
Hule LA APM ili tatopa nalo.
This is very strange, all lawyers in Malawi refused to represent MEC. I suppose the behavior of MCP, UTM and HRDC is really threatening layers in Malawi. As such they are now trying to protect their lives and the only way is to avoid as anything may happen to them and their family. The judges are also making sure that they are pleasing MCP, UTM, and HRDC because of their violence acts. This is killing democracy and now waste of money.
U are so pathetic Truth, I think u r not telling the truth of your name but day dreaming man.
Who threatened the Lawyers and Judges btwn DPP and MCP/UTM ??
The reality is DPP who marchered with their Placards threatening Judges. They even went to threaten MCP lawyers by his house and robbed him some necessities including computer.
DPP even uses MRA to punish some lawyers representing MCP but still it didn’t work to their machination requirements. Dausi, Mchacha and company their intention failed.
Malawi does not belong to one tribe but all of us.
Join the discussion…Lawyers refused to represent MEC of how impossible it is to win the case. Which Supreme Court can reverse the ConCourt ruling?
Jane Ansah is the axis of evil. She is the incarnate of Lucifer himself,,,Very cunning, zero integrity,,Shen peddles lots of falsehoods,,,In fact everything that comes outnofnher evil mouth is evil itself,,,
This woman is really stupid and lacks common sense. Why did Malawian lawyers refuse to take up the fight? Its because they knew it’s a losing battle. Is this woman really a lawyer or let alone been in a classroom before? Any human being knows Ansah and a NTCHONA can not win in any court. Get her arrested too once we change the government in may.
Am lost for words when it comes to this stubborn hard as a rock Ansah. So arrogant and mean has no remorse what so ever. Hell bent on destroying Malawi as if she’s on a revenge mission. Now it makes sense she married a Ghanaian and that’s where she’ll live after all this. One wonders if she has a soul inside her…
Judge Ansah, please let go!
The Supreme Court ought to reject the appeal case based on the interview where the MEC chairwoman Ansah admitted the ILLEGAL use of Tippex and justified it because according to her, tippex was used across board. Illegal, because the MEC chairwoman did not know who authorized the Tippex. Besides, MEC laws do not authorize the use of Tippex or unauthorized materials, no one signed for the tippex alterations as far as is known, there are no copies of the actual mistakes to be compared with the tippexed copies, and other commissioners of MEC are not onboard with this appeal based on the testimonies they gave at the PAC hearing recently.
An appeal based on emotions and foolish pride is frivolous, time wasting and a mockery of justice. The tactic should be exposed and denounced.
We don’t want the simmering tempers of the populace to explode. People have been patient, so let’s move forward with a new MEC and new elections.
If the MEC Chairwoman Ansah stands by her assertions, that she did not authorize Tippex, the SUPREME Court should summarily dismiss the MEC appeal and defer to the Constitutional court ruling.
This is Uchisilu of the highest order! No drugs in public hospitals and spend all that money on foreign lawyers who are not even good-this is very disturbing😟