Tag Archives: Judge Kenyata Njirenda

Malawi

Msundwe women finally get compensated as family of slain police officer Usuman Imedi still waiting for justice

Maneno Chimulala
Msundwe women finally get compensated as family of slain police officer Usuman Imedi still waits for justice

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)—Malawi government has finally paid millions of Kwacha in compensation to 18 women who were allegedly sexually assaulted by police officers in Lilongwe’s Msundwe, Mbwatalika and Mpingu areas on October 8, 2019.

Police officers allegedly raped 13 women, defiled one girl and sexually assaulted three under-18 girls during an operation which followed the death of police officer Usumani Imedi, who was stoned by angry people in Msundwe area as they protested against the then president Peter Mutharika’s planned political rally in the area.

Women Lawyers Association (WLA) led the victims to court to demand justice and in March this year the High Court sitting in Lilongwe ordered the Malawi Police Service to compensate the women.

According to WLA President Immaculate Maluza, the government has duly paid the money as ordered by the court.

“In or around February 2020, the Women Lawyers Association (WLA) commenced civil proceedings against the Malawi Police Service (MPS), Ministry of Homeland and the Clerk of Parliament, otherwise known as the State and the Inspector General of Police. The Clerk of National Assembly and the Minister of Finance exparte, M.M and 18 others, Judicial Review Cause No.7 OF 2020 (JR Cause No.7).

“The civil matter was concluded successfully and the court ordered that MPS should pay damages to the women and girls of M’bwatalika and Mpingu. On 9th March 2021, Assistant Registrar Chimwaza sitting at the High Court Lilongwe Registry issued a ruling on assessment of damages which determined the amount of compensation payable to each applicant.

“Consequently, WLA would like to inform the public that the Government of Malawi has duly paid compensation to each of the 18 Applicants in JR Cause No.7. The payment marks the conclusion of the civil aspect of the case,” reads the statement in part.

On August 13 last year, High Court Judge Kenyatta Nyirenda ordered the police to compensate the 18 women and arrest 17 law enforcers implicated in the matter.

Nyirenda established that the applicants were victims of sexual violence, ordering that they be compensated for the heinous acts they suffered at the hands of law enforcers.

The judge further blamed the office of the Inspector General (IG) for failing to put in place a credible system of monitoring the conduct of officers.

The IG was therefore ordered to report to the court on steps taken to investigate and arrest the perpetrators of sexual violence.

Meanwhile, Malawians are also demanding justice for the family of police officer Usuman Imedi who was brutally murdered by Msundwe mob during the protests against the ousted President Peter Mutharika.

Msundwe residents, who are obviously staunch supporters of the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP), acted in “uncivilizing” manner during the demonstrations, burning and destroying the property in the process.

Timothy Mtambo, the then Chairperson of Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), who led the protests is now dining with the incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera following his appointment as Minister of Civic Education and National Unity.

Other HRDC officials like Macdonald Sembereka and Billy Mayaya have also been rewarded with positions in embassies while businessmen who lost property during the violent demonstrations are still languishing in poverty.

Malawi

Court order against lockdown upsets Malawi government

Maneno Chimulala
Malawi President Peter Mutharika

BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)– The Malawi government has criticised High Court Judge Kenyatta Nyirenda for granting an injunction stopping nationwide lockdown which was announced by health minister Jappie Mhango as a measure to contain the novel coronavirus.

Nyirenda, who was recently accused by the general public of undermining the coronavirus efforts, granted the HRDC an injunction against the 21-day lockdown on Friday afternoon.

HRDC and opposition parties faulted the DPP-led government for failing to announce any tangible measures to alleviate pain of millions of poor Malawians during the lockdown.

Reacting, Minister of Information, Civic Education and Communications Technology, Mark Botomani, has warned that the injunction has placed Malawian lives at risk of the pandemic.

“We have received the information with a lot of misgivings. To begin with, we did not expect that in prevailing circumstances we have a judge granting such kind of an injunction.

“You see, the very reason that government decided to lockdown the country from tomorrow (today) is basically to protect the lives of people because right now we no longer have these imported cases of coronavirus. What we have now is a local transmission,” said Botomani in an interview with BBC Africa, monitored by Maravi Post.

Botomani also quashed allegations that the government rushed to declare the lockdown without putting in place safety nets, saying the government set a package to help the poor during the lockdown period.

“As a matter of fact just today, government has been working on a package to specifically to deal with the informal sector and vendors inclusive and those that ply their trade in market places. We put in place lump sum of money so that during this time we could be able to give out to groups of people who will be able to at least have a meal during the 21-day period lockdown.

“You must also understand that we have what we call social cash transfer. Government has been implementing this program for a quite number of years. And just recently we just paid for four months the people that leaves in rural areas and those in the city; the poor of the poorest. We are targeting over 300 000 people,” he said.

Recently, Nyirenda also granted an order which released four Chinese nationals who had been quarantined at Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe on March 17 2020.