Justice is expensive in Malawi, says EU ambassador to Malawi
European ambassador to Malawi Marchel Gerrmann says justice is not only expensive in Malawi but hard to find.
Gerrmann, who leaves the country in a few days time after the end of his tour of mission, said this on Friday during the launch of Chilungamo Justice program aimed at reaching out to the millions of Malawi who seek justice but never finds it
“We need to reach out to the poor people who want justice but never gets it. Justice in Malawi is not only expensive but hard to find,” he said.
Minister of Justice an Constitutional Affairs Samuel Tembenu said he was baffled to meet a man who had been jailed for 36 months for merely stealing s bicycle.
“This was miscarriage of justice. The man could have been sent to do community work. This makes our prisons to be congested,” he said.
Judiciary registrar Agnes Patemba said the judiciary is now introducing local courts to replace traditional courts which were abolished soon after the dawn of multiparty democracy.
“Unlike the traditional courts, the local courts will be presided over by trained chairpersons. The aim of the courts is to ensure that people do not walk long distances to seek justice,” she said.
officials from Legal Aid, a government department which gives legal representation to poor people said the office will now open offices in all the districts across the country.
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kuli zoopsatu bwinja lathu lino mavuto zedi. ma lawyers akubela anthu hevy. milandu ya anthu kumangokhala kaamaba tilibe cowalipila. oba nkhuku 10 yrs ku ndende , opha njauji, casowa, scot free, Jose akuyenda ndi magazi aanthi amenewa. azaulula akamazafa .aye.
ma lawyers ,jajezi nao zilo. ndikumbukila ca mma 2007 client wina anachajidwa K200.000 kwacha for a title deed ndi uyuy lawyer AMBOKILE.?????????????? FACT. ndi nzimayi anali mu ofesi mwake uja Martha. koma ndi zoona zimeneziiiiiiii, ndiye pano title deed ili pa bwanji. zitosi pathako kuyenda nazo big time
cilungamo palibe pa Mw pano. korapshoni, kolapshoni ,kolapshoni everywhere. basi agalu onse acoka pa cingwe
Izi ndiye chamba basi. Corruption was thre during that time. Do you want to introduce again?????
r Tembenu……. Inu mukudabwa za 36 months njinga…….. Ine ndikudabwa kti nkhni ya chimanga cha ku zambia ndi kuotchedwa kwa moto ku ministry of agriculture zinatheka bwanji nthawi imodzi? Zimenezo ndiye zodabwitsa osati za njinga izo. zimenezo mutifunse ife. Tinazolowera
A Tembenu mukudabwa chiyani? This is what your government is doing imprisoning who stole a bic and leave murderers, thieves just because they put on the stupid sky blue a combs of maize. Shut up!
Chilungoma ku Malawi chimayang’ana nkhope. when you are poor you will be jailed. I read here a few weeks ago of a man who was jailed for 12 years for killing animal in the game reserve. As much as we no we need to protect animals but 12 years. What do you want to achieve? To show that you have got power to send people to jail.
Local court? Traditional court? before azungu ma bwalo amilandu ku Malawi analiko.
So as Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Tembenu is saying he had no knowledge of these issues………………….!! This is fake and a misplaced cover-up!! Is Tembenu saying he has neither visited the prisons nor received some summary reports on the state of affairs from all the prisons from 2015 [36 months ago]? What action has he taken now that he is aware!! Rhetoric at its best and shame on you………………………………………. no wonder your own team did want to include you in DPP NEC.
The best answer the Minister would have told the Ambassador was that the ordinary & victimized Malawians are not a priority to his Ministry but “the Chejumos” who are pocketing K145 million!!
There’s no must ce in Malawi full stop. The profiles of prisoners should tell the whole story. If you have money you’ll escape the highly corrupt justice system.
Time to “chew allowances” under the banner of Chilungamo programme. It never ceases to amaze me why in the civil service most officers don’t want to do their ordinary day to day work without demanding allowances in the form of “night allowances” when in most of the cases they don’t spend a night outside the duty working station. Its this culture, as part of the problem in the civil service, that is affecting service delivery. The justice system and its players is not spared from this sickness. A good example is that judges no longer try homicide cases in Blantyre. They prefer going outside Blantyre so as to accumulate allowances. As a result homicide suspect continue to languish in prison as they will never have their day in court.
Lawyers fees as well are a hindrance. This is with particular reference to civil cases. In criminal cases, public defender as well as prosecuting instututions are alarmingly understaffed to ably carry out their work. Yet these institutions remain to have several unfilled vacancies. The judiciary too needs to improve by recruiting more professional magistrates as well as encouraging graded magistrates to get further education by providing upgrading opportunities.
The police which prosecutes the majority of the petty offences as well as most felons need to have regular in house trainnings as well as awareness on corruption. Otherwise the struggle is real when it comes to access and dispensation of justice.