Malawi lawyers say will stage anti-government protests

Malawi lawyers are planning to stage nationwide protests against President Bingu wa Mutharika’s government over what they have termed its "total disregard of the judicial system".

The Malawi Law Society said it had resolved to stage the protests after realising that government was disinterested in resolving outstanding judicial concerns that led to another strike since January 9, including the continued detention of the former Attorney General turned activist Ralph Kasambara and the ignoring of court rulings.

Courts in Malawi have not been sitting since January when the judicial support staff started boycotting work demanding a review of their conditions of service.

The government has so far not responded to their concerns.

In a twist last week, the courts sat to set bail for Mr Kasambara, a ruling that was ignored after the police rearrested him claiming that the courts were on strike.

However the courts say only the support staff were on strike and that judges and magistrates were still working, hence the rulings made in Mr Kasambara's favour were in order. (Read: Amnesty wants Malawi activist released)

Malawi Law Society Secretary Jabba Alide said it was regrettable that the country's rule of law and access to justice is threatened due to the government's continued disregard of concerns raised by judicial staff.

"We have resolved to hold a nationwide protest in support of the judicial strike, force [the] government to free Ralph Kasambara and force it to start respecting the law," he said.

Impeachment

Mr Alids said the government has been issuing threats to members of the law and the judicial fraternity who were perceived to be anti government.

The government has refused to release the former Attorney General despite two rulings, one from a magistrate’s court and other from the High Court, ordering his release.

Mr Kasambara, heavily guarded by police officers is currently hospitalised after he complained of heart pains.

President Mutharika's spokesperson Hetherwick Ntaba on his part asked why there was only a call for the release of Mr Kasambara when thousands of Malawians are rotting in detention because the ongoing judicial strike.

"Do not politicise the arrest of Kasambara, why ignore the plight of other Malawians who were arrested during the time of the strike and are failing to access justice. Are they not Malawians too?" he said.

The minister of Justice Ephraim Chiume is expected to give a statement in Parliament on the continuing detention of Mr Kasambara after a legislator asked if Malawi was under a state of emergency.

Meanwhile legislators from the ruling Democratic Progressive party are speeding up an amendment to parliamentary standing orders on impeachment procedures which analysts say are targeting the country’s Vice-President, Joyce Banda.