Tembenu lies on food for prisoners: Malawi Justice Minister tells EU inmates to get 3 meals a day

Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Samuel Tembenu has been accused of lying after he told a delegation of European Union that inmates at Mzimba Prison would now start getting three meals a day.

Inmates at the prison said it was mockery for Tembenu to tell donors lies.

“We are still eating once a day,“ said one inmate when Women’s Guild members from Kaphuta CCAP donated food items to the 574 inmates as part of Christmas festive activities of the church.

Tembenu made the promise recently when he received electric cooking pots from the EU.

Incharge of the prison Raphael Mushali said the inmates eat once a day at 8am.

“The problem has worsened because we did not get the November funding. The situation is dire because we survive on donations from well wishers,” said Mushali.

The situation is the same at Kachere Juvenile Centre in Lilongwe where officials told Chancellor College alumni that there were concerned that the child offenders take one meal a day.

The Chancellor College alumni had gone to the centre to donate bathing and launmdry soap and engaged the child offenders in career talk so that they make a right choice on their future career when they get out of the youth offenders reformatory prison.

Inspector Chirwa of the institution asked more well wishers to come forward to help the young offenders with food.