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.
Asova
Mapiri if you are not a lawyer please refrain from your conspiracy theorist tendencies. On what basis do you come to the conclusion that the judge is being bribed. Bwino ndi rumour mongering, it has no place in this conversation. This is why i believe matters concerning specialist areas like the law should not be analysed by laymen who assume because they read the constitution then they are suddenly experts. This case demonstrates the need for those with the job of disseminating information to the public through mass media to be responsible and adhere to ethical principles.
Some~Presenters~have~little~knowledge~of~matters~like~him
I have great respect for Mr Chibwana it’s sad that the PP as a party lost such talent for SG, nkuyika zijazi mapeto ake back to another excruciating reign of the DPP. Vuto lake amayi samafuna kuyandikana ndi anthu a nzeru. A Chibwana munthu wodzitsitsa, wodzichepetsa, victim wa nsanje pa Malawi.Bayethe wawa, siyabonga kakhulu indoda Chibwana!
Ooookayy mumaziputira dala. Kkkkkkkkkk
Zawanda akuyenekera kuchepetsa kutukwana wanthu akakhala pa wayilesi.
Mapiri there is such a thing as personal liability of officers. You cannot always hide behind organizations. Even our police officers have some times escaped personal liabilities because of ignorance of the victims. Liabilities for actions like excessive force against a victim are personal to the officers. Similarly libelous opinions uttered by journalists or pressmen through the media of their employers go with liabilities personal to the employees unless the editorial policy of the employer organization expressly holds the opinion so uttered. This is a good test case clearly setting out the boundaries.
It is not joy radio that was sued. Why is joy radio’ scar seized?
Za ziii
Lloyd Zawanda has such poor diction and a sketchy grasp of issues it was a miracle he has been allowed to present the newspaper review that long. The man is a liability and I’m not surprised he has been taken to the cleaners.