High Court lifts injunction on Macra deputy Bisika pending judicial review
The High Court in Blantyre has lifted an innjuction it issued to Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) deputy director general Francis Bisika to remain employed pending judicial review proceedings.
The lifting of the injunction was made by Judge Mike Tembo who ruled that the injunction was supposed to be applied for separately and bot within the judicial review proceedings.
Bisika, whose renewed contract was withdrawn in November last year, obtained a court injunction which allowed him to continue working, but Macra defied the order after it prevented him from carrying on with his work.
Macra argued earlier through its lawyer Madalitso Mmeta that the order which was granted to Bisika was not clear and valid.
The communications regulator’s argument followed an application for committal to prison of its top officials for defying the court order.
Bisika, who is being represented by Chancy Gondwe, wanted Macra officials, including its director general Godfrey Itaye, jailed for defying the court order.
The court’s earlier order also stopped the Malawi Government from dictating the parastatal on Bisika’s employment contract.
Bisika sought the court relief after Macra withdrew his contract barely two weeks after the organisation’s extraordinary board meeting renewed it, according to a letter from Bisika’s lawyers to Macra board chairperson Mervis Mangulenje, who also risks to be committed to prison alongside Macra’s acting director of legal services Dan Chiwoni.
In the communication, Bisika argues that after he expressed interest for the renewal of his employment contract, Macra met and resolved to renew it for another three years. Thus, his contract of employment was renewed by Macra Board from October 19 2017.
Initially, Bisika was on contract for a period of three years effective October 14 2014.
“Whether out of sheer ignorance of the Communications Act or the board’s ineptitude, you wrote our client a letter dated 3rd November 2017 informing our client that government has not honoured his expression of interest for the renewal of his Employment Contract,” reads part of the letter signed by lawyer Gondwe.
Gondwe said the will follow the judicial review proceedings.
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