Nyakwawa Usiwa-Usiwa appointed Judge of Malawi High Court: Madise, Chirwa moved from Mzuzu to Lilongwe

President Peter Mutharika has appointed Nyakwawa Usiwa-Usiwa as new High Court judge.

Usiwa-Usiwa was serving as Registrar of the High Court and Supreme Court of Malawi in Blantyre.

He was promoted after serving as Chief Resident Magistrate Court in Blantyre where he was famed for passing lengthy deterrent sentences to convicts including the 14 years jail term for a gay couple Steven Monjeza and Tiwonge Chimbalanga. The two were given presidential pardon,

Usiwa-Usiwa a graduate of the University of Malawi had joined media profession after he first graduated at Chancellor College. He worked with Times Group (formerly Blantyre Newspapers Limited) for s short stint before he enrolled back at Chancellor College for a law degree.

He then joined the judiciary starting as a Magistrate before rising through the ranks.

Secretary to President and Cabinet (also known as Chief Secretary)., George Mkondiwa confirmed in Thursday the appointment, saying President Mutharika has exercised his  powers conferred upon him by section 111 sub section (2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi, to appoint  Usiwa-Usiwa as a Judge of the High Court.

Mkondiwa said in statement that the appointment is with immediate effect.

In October this year, President Mutharika appointed four new judges Joseph Chigona, Ruth Chinangwa, Dorothy De Gabrielle and George Bakuwa who died suddenly during a tour of duty in Lusaka, Zambia barely a month after his appointment.

Meanwhile, the Judiciary has moved Judges Dingiswayo Madise and John Chirwa of Mzuzu High Court Registry to Lilongwe with effected from 1 January, 2017.

Justice Chirwa was deployed from Blantyre to Mzuzu to help meet the demand for justice in the Northern Region where High Court in Mzuzu has been operating with only Justice Madise.

The Judiciary has since posted new judge De Gabrielle to Mzuzu Court.

Justice Richard Chinangwa has been deployed from Blantyre High Court to Lilongwe Registry while Justice Joseph Chigona is moving in the opposite direction with effect from 1 December, 2016.

Judiciary spokesperson Mlenga Mvula confirmed the development.

He said Chinangwa has been deployed to Lilongwe to replace Justice Lloyd Muhara who was appointed by President Mutharika to the post of Deputy Chief of Staff in the civil service.