Malawi Electoral Commission Chairperson Maxon Mbendera has died of cardiac arrest while chairing a meeting in Malawi capital Lilongwe today. Ntata writes recollects his experience with him. He says the late Mbendera was man of high sense of integrity.
REMEMBERING MAXON MBENDERA SC
On 6 April 2012, I was in Blantyre when I was asked to immediately travel to the office of Maxon Mbendera, then Attorney General in Lilongwe for an emergency meeting. When I arrived, the Attorney General informed me that the President had died, and that the then Minister of Justice, Ephraim Chiume, who was present in the room, had instructions for us.
Ephraim Chiume informed me that he had instructions from the Cabinet that the Attorney General together with me and other government lawyers should look at how the Vice President could be prevented from taking over. Chiume repeatedly emphasized that we were to use any means necessary.
Upon discussing the matter, Maxon Mbendera agreed with me that we needed to inform the Minister that we were not going to do anything illegal. We opted in the end to suggest that there was merit in trying to get an injunction against the immediate succession of the vice president to the presidency. The Attorney General’s reasoning, with which I concurred, was that since there was already pending in the constitutional court a referral case which was questioning the legitimacy of the Vice President maintaining her position in light of conduct which seemed to suggest that she had resigned, we should try and get the courts to make a decision on this referral. In the end the move was to be overtaken by other events.
Subsequently, as Chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission, Maxon Mbendera has been ridiculed and accused of many things including rigging elections for the DPP. I have never seen any evidence supporting any of the allegation.
For me, I will always remember him as a brilliant legal mind and a man of integrity from whom I learned a lot when we worked together for the government.
Comments
2 responses to “Maxon Mbendera SC was man of integrity—Barrister Z Allan Ntata ”
I concur with Ntata. People who understand the law and electoral processes know that it was the courts that decided on DPP `s victory. Mbendera acted on this decision by declaring the results and announcing APM as the winner. It is sad frustrated politicians have accused Mbendera of rigging the polls out of spite. Mbendera was a man of integrity. Rest in Peace Mbendera.
Great Tribute to a great Person.