A leading private practice lawyer and critic of President Bingu wa Mutharika, Ralph Kasambara, has finally been freed on bail, lawyer Wapona Kita told Nyasa Times on Wednesday. Kita a lawyer in Kasambara’s law firm, Ralph and Arnolds – said he had picked the former Attorney General at Chichiri Prison to his home in Nyambadwe. “Yes […]
Security forces on Wednesday went to Chichiri Prison in Blantyre to collect a leading lawyer in private practice Ralph Kasambara to take him to his house for a search. Kasambara refused to accompany the police and they agreed to go ahead without him. According to a police source, the search warrant was issued by Magistrate […]
Malawi’s human rights activists on Tuesday termed as politically motivated the arrest of former Attorney General and leading private practice lawyer Ralph Kasambara. Meanwhile, Kasambara’s partner in Ralph and Anords legal firm, Wapona Kita said Magistrate Innocent Nedi in Blantyre granted him bail with conditions to deposit K20,000 cach, produce one surety bonded to the sum […]
The Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC) and the Zimbabwean Exiles Forum (ZEF) have launched a landmark case in the North Gauteng High Court to compel South Africa to abide by its legal obligations to investigate and prosecute high level Zimbabwean officials accused of crimes against humanity. SALC and ZEF are asking the High Court to […]
Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika has been embarrassed after being poorly rated at “D” for autocratic leadership style in the African Leadership Scorecard by the Kenya-based East African Magazine. The reputable magazine ranking of the performance ratings of African Presidents fares on governance, democracy, press freedom, corruption and human development. Mutharika has slipped one step backward […]
Malawi was well on its way to being a success story. Under Dr. Hastings Banda’s thirty year dictatorship, people had been robbed of their rights and freedoms. Post 1994 was an era of promise and hope for the better. The winds of change blew away the old ways of a one party autocracy. By 1996 […]
Malawi Police Service has swallowed its pride and conceded that the suspect who died in their custody was not a criminal but a mere suspect. Edison Msiska, 30, of Chabisika village, Traditional Authority Chikulamayembe in Rumphi district was in Police custody a few days and died a few hours on Sunday at Mzuzu Central Hospital […]
I have sent this article to Nyasa Times because I know most print papers would have looked at it and would pretend they had not seen it. Blame it on the bureaucracies which exist in these newsrooms. After all, with the current political situation in Malawi, those in most newsroom, just like me, are as […]
Repressive laws such as the Section 46 of the Penal Code and the injunctions law, police abuse and heavy-handedness in reacting to street protests are some of the issues that stained Malawi’s human rights record in 2011. This is according to a latest report issued on January 30th by the reputed Geneva based international human rights […]
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon — in an unusually outspoken declaration Sunday — told leaders at the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, who included Malawi’s President Bingu wa Mutharika, that they must respect gay rights. Homosexuality is controversial in many African states including Malawi where is is criminalised. The UN Secretary General accused many […]
Malawi police on Tuesday detained for questioning a student of political science at Huddersfield University and activist, Ben Chiza Mkandawire and Hebrews Misomali, lawyer Wapona Kita told Nyasa Times. Kita said Police picked Chiza Mkandawire because they “thought he was organising a protest with the vendors.” Police fear Mkandawire was inciting vendors “to overthrow” the […]
Malawi’s vocal human rights campaigner Undule Mwakasungura says the country is facing huge challenges in governance and human rights under President Bingu wa Mutharika rule. He made the remarks on Monday in Lilongwe at Crossroads Hotel where his Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) in partnership with the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa […]
Head of the state funded Malawi Human Rights Commission, John Kapito, has said the country’s rights defenders are living dangerously because the state continue to threaten and harass them. Kapito made the remarks when he spoke in the capital Lilongwe on Monday where Malawi’s rights activists have converged to take stock of the 30 years […]
One of Malawi’s leading newspaper columnists on topical issues, Raphael Tenthani, has underlined the fact that the country is indeed a failed state. Last year John Kapito, who chairs the state funded Malawi Human Rights Commission, grabbed newspaper headlines when he described Malawi as a ‘failed state’. Kapito noted that there clear signs that “government […]
Malawi’s first female vice president Joyce Banda has urged women in the country to “stand up” and fight for their rights. Banda, who joined over 2,000 womens who protested over a gang which went about cities of Lilongwe and Mzuzu stripping women for wearing trousers, mini-skirts and leggings, said women have come a long way […]
Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika whose administration is facing cash problems following western donors withdraw of aid due to governance and human rights concerns, says he was grateful to China for its assistance without any strings attached. Malawi President noted that China does not demand democratic reforms, good governance and anti-corruption drives as a condition […]
The Malawi Law Society (MLS) says President Bingu wa Mutharika and his government must in 2012 adhere to the rule of law and respect peoples human rights and never behave in an obdurate manner as he did in 2011 where they abused power with impunity. MLS president Mr. John-Gift Mwakhwawa asked the Malawian leader and […]
If it sells, use it. If it teaches, use it. If it’s true, even better! Semo is a play set in Kwacha Kwayela kingdom ruled by a dictator. Thlupego Chisiza son of the late Du Chisiza Jr is one of the actors and playwright of the play. Thlupego was arrested on 18th of December while […]