Sheriffs seize Joy Radio vehicle over K5m libel damages against Chibwana

High Court Sheriffs on Wednesday afternoon seized a vehicle for Joy Radio Station after its manager, Lloyd Zawanda failed to pay libel damages amounting to K5 million.

Zawanda was last year dragged to court by former Peoples Party (PP) Secretary General, Henry Chibwana over defamatory remarks he made in one of Joy Radio’s ‘press review’ programmes.

In the programme, Zawanda is reported to have claimed that Chibwana fraudulently bought his girlfriend a house from Malawi House Corporation (MHC).

He even challenged to have had documents to substantiate his claim.

The matter was once referred to Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) who ordered Zawanda to apologize but Chibwana did not buy it, instead, he commenced legal action.

Zawanda was sued in his personal capacity but has been trying to involve the radio station in the case.

In its first ruling Nyasa Times understands, the court had ordered Zawanda to pay K12 million in libel damages but the amount was reduced to K5 million after negotiations.

However, Zawanda has been failing to pay the money forcing the High Court Sheriffs to seize his official car Toyota Corolla PE 964 despite his efforts to implicate the radio station.

Zawanda, Nyasa Times found out, several months ago managed to only pay K750,000.

Chibwana, a former Principal of University of Malawi’s Polytechnic College, resigned from PP in 2013 after he remarked during a political rally that Malawi would be better if it returned to one-party-state.