Malawi judiciary workers strike ‘politically inspired’ to derail polls case

July 23, 2019 Green Muheya - Nyasa Times 25 Comments

The  judiciary support staff have began an industrial action to press for higher pay and better work conditions as harmonised with those of judicial officers, be approved by parliament with immediate effect which will have a bearing to the elections case and sources say it is politically inspired to derail electoral justice.

Judicial support staff captured at High Court premises in Blantyre staging a sit-in demanding the approval of conditions of service that are in harmony with the ones for judicial staff
Main entrance to the court premises is closed and there is currently no business being transacted.

The workers are also demanding the resignation of Chief Justice Andrew Nyirenda an Registrar of the High Court and Supreme Court of Appeal Agness Patemba for failing to address their issues.

Some judiciary workers who spoke to Nyasa Times mentioned a lawyer and ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) official as being ones orchestrating the strike to derail the presidential election case.

The two have been paying junior staff to push for the sit-in in an attempt to paralyse the election case whose trial  is scheduled to start July 29.

UTM Party president Saulos Chilima (first petitioner) and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera (second petitioner) are seeking nullification of the presidential results in the May 21 2019 Tripartite Elections. President Peter Mutharika, by virtue of being the declared winner, is the first respondent while MEC is the second respondent.

So to delay the progress of the case, the DPP wants to orchestrate a strike at the judiciary by bribing support staff to demand better working conditions and packages.

The DPP move has however angered the senior leadership of the judiciary who think this is a pure attack on them by the executive.

“They think they are being belittled and also they look at the whole as an attack on them. I doubt if the tactic will affect the progress of the case,” said a source within the judiciary.

Meanwhile, the Constitutional Court handling the case is to rule this Thursday on an application by Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC)  seeking a 14-day extension to file sworn and effectively provide direction on how the case will proceed.

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25 replies on “Malawi judiciary workers strike ‘politically inspired’ to derail polls case”

    1. Ukunama mphwanga, tili ndi MDF yathuyathu ndipo sangayerekeze abale anuwo zimenezo what fuck is this!..??

  4. Some of you calling for Army takeover… mukudziwa kuti kutukwana General ndi mlandu? army can not tolerate ma demo tikupangawa..let rule of law prevail..nthawi ilipo

  5. A very sad development. Should the junior staff accept that initiative then their actions are an affront to the independence of the Judiciary. The Commonwealth Judges and Magistrate Association, to which Judge Charles Mkandawire was elected as its president, will view this move with total displeasure. So too the International Bar Association. Malawi Law Society, what is the office’s take on the impending interference? As for the grievances raised by junior staff, let the Head of Human Resource Management in the judiciary take up the matter with the Department of Human Resources Management and Development at Capital Hill.

  6. DEAR MALAWIANS OF GOOD WILL —PLEASE GET OUT OF EGYPT WHERE YOU ARE REMOVING HOT BURNT BRICKS FROM THE BURNING FURNACES PREPARED BY DPP — ANSAH –PITALA –DAUSI –JAPPIE — GOODAL –MCHACHA –WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT YOU BY RECEIVING MK5,000 BRIBE TODAY AND SUFFER THE REST OF YOUR LIFE WITH YOUR FAMILIES ??? THINK I!

  7. DPP thinks we are stupid they are trying their best to run away from justice .. koma anthu sititopa ayi…
    Secondly that should be ku blantyre konko wosati kuno…

    In Blantyre we have some stupid people who are evil minded who wants malawi to be a state of corruption and injustice,
    thats why we Blantyre escom is corrupt so as their DAD, Blantyre waterboad corrupt MACRA and MEC.

    The case will ok in Lilongwe not affected the results on 29th.zanuzo pangani ku blantyre konko us we trust the judges in the capital.

    Malawi dziko latonse ili not individulas or alhomwe okha kupusa yet…

  9. Did you know the south of Malawi overwhelmingly voted for DPP?
    Search for yourself
    Osamangozinamiza

  10. Try to remove Chief Justice Nyirenda and see how northerners will respond.

    To my thinking , I only see Chief justice Nyirenda and General Nundwe in this administration of DPP being trully representing Northerners without fear and favour.

    The others, the likes of Gondwe and friends are bootlickers of DPP.

    2. This is tribalsitic at it’s best. Justice is not about being representd by someone from your region.

  11. DESPERATE TIMES CALLS FOR DESPERATE MEASURES…MUNYA AGALU A DPP

    YOU HAVE INVOLVED MULUZI TO INITIATE DIALOGUE EEEEEE MULUZI HIS CORRUPTION CASE HAS STALLED IN COURTS COZ HE HAS BEEN SUPPORTING THE DPP.

    EVERY TIME THE CASE IS RESUMED MULUZI GETS SICK. DPP HAS NEVER PUSHED THE CASE TO CONCLUSION

    HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS DO NOT BE COMPROMISED BY MULUZI TIPPEX DIALOGUE….

    LETS FORGE AHEAD WITH THE DEMOS TILL WE SET A PRECEDENT FOR OUR FUTURE. MALAWIS DEMOCRACY IS IN LIMBO COZ OF A FEW LOMWES NOT GOOD FOR US. THE ONLY WAY OUT IS TO FIGHT TILL OUR LAST BLOOD

  13. Njoka mukaipwanya ku mutu, imamenyetsabe ndi mphavu mchira pansi. Mwina imamvabe ululu kapena imafunabe kukhara ndi moyo pa mphindi zochepa. Koma imfa tikhoza kuichedwetsa pofuna-funa chithandizo ku zipatala kapena kwa ma dokotala. Koma pamapeto pache imfa imawinabe. Pa zipani zitatu za ndale zi, chimenea chadwala matenda osachiritsika chifa basi. It’s a matter of time, nanji kukuwoneka ngati njoka zina mutu waphwanyika kale, inde mchira ndiumenewo koma pali za moyo pamenepa?

  14. Kodi ndiye kuti a DPP amafuna kuti anthu onse akhale side yao ndipo iwo okha ndiwo aziopedwa, koma dziwani kuti kumwamba kuli Mulungu.

  15. Of course, it is very clear this is a planned move by the DPP, however, this is Malawi at 55 and not at 40. They will try to use all the possible means but dust will still settle one day.

    It’s very unfortunate to the junior staff for being used in this calculated move by the DPP. This will yield nothing as the case is still on.

  17. This is totally an unacceptable, Malawi Army should take over to bring sanity and return it to civilian rule later after kukonza zinthu.

    1. You are a damn fool and u dont even know what u r talking about. U just talk for the sake of talking, u dont have any day of experience of military rule. U think if its a military rule, all the stupid things MCP and UTM r doing will just watch u, they will kill, no question about that. In addition, in the military vocabulary, there is no a word called….DEMOCRACY….they dont have time for that. Its just AUTHORITATIVE kind of leadership.

  19. koma DPP yafika poti mutu sukugwira tsopano komazooti muziwe ndizoti ngati izi zipitilire ife tingogawapo dzikoli amene ali ndi anthu ambiri alamulira chifukwa iwe peter ndi anzako ukufuna kutionetsa utsilu.kodi kamuzu anakakhala ndi mtima uwu muno democracy italowa ?

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