Malawi court jails man six years for sodomy

A 32 year old man in Machinga has started serving a six year jail term after he was convicted for sodomising an 11 year old street child in Liwonde.

Police prosecutor in Machinga Ezekiel Kalungo told Liwonde First Grade Magistrate Esther Phiri that Madalitso Simbwani, a piece worker at Liwonde, was caught red handed sexually abusing the boy last Thursday on Liwonde Township and people were alerted by loud cries of the boy.

When people went to a toilet where Simbwani was having illegal annal sex with the street boy, Kalungo said, they found Simbwani pants down, helping himself on the helpless little boy.

Kalungo said Simbwani attempted to run away upon seeing the crowd descending on him on that Thursday morning around 10 am but was caught and handed over to police.

He pleaded guilty to the offence in the court and Phiri immediately slapped him with the six year jail term, saying this was to deter others from engaging in the same offence in future.

Simbwani comes from Lenadi Village in Chief Sitola’s area, Machinga.

The development comes afterMalawi government has reaffirmed its decision to halt the arrest and prosecution of gay citizens while lawmakers review existing anti-gay laws.

Rights groups Human Rights Watch and the Centre for the Development of the People praised the Malawian government for upholding its 2012 commitment, after prosecutors dropped charges against a same-sex couple.

The rights groups said two men were detained by a neighbourhood watch team, who turned them over to police. The men were forced to undergo medical tests and charged with sodomy. This was the first arrest since 2009, when a gay couple was jailed and pardoned a year later.

Minister of Justice Samuel Tembenu said no arrests or prosecutions must occur while the country reviews its laws.

However, he said this applies to consensual adults sex activity not sexual assaults.