Court fails to give verdict on landmark plastic case

The High Court in Blantyre on Wednesday failed to give verdict on a stay order obtained by plastic making companies in the country to stop the government from going ahead to ban use of plastics in the country.

Court officials said the Judge Healey Potani was busy in a crucial meeting and would set another day for the ruling.

Lawyer from the attorney general chambers Neverson Chisiza said the ruling was ready only that the judge was tied up to appear in court to deliver it.

“We are told that he would set another day for the ruling, so we would be waiting,” he said.

The plastic companies lost the case in the High Court on the ban of the plastics and went ahead to apply for a judicial review which was dismissed.

Instead, the companies applied for a stay order, to stop the ministry of Natural Resources, Mines and Environmental Affairs from implementing the ban and the judge guaranteed them a temporary stay order pending intra-party hearing.

Potani was therefore on Wednesday expected to rule on the stay order.