No funds to fix South Lunzu Court—Judiciary

The Judiciary is yet to rehabilitate South Lunzu Magistrate’s Court due to financial constraints three years after it was torched by a protesting mob.

High Court of Malawi and Supreme Court of Appeal registrar Agnes Patemba attributed the delay to lack of financial resources.

She said the two magistrates who were working at the court before the incident were transferred to Blantyre Magistrate’s Court.

“We are also looking at the security of our magistrates if the court is to resume its operations there, considering the circumstances that took place on the day the court was burnt down,” said Patemba.

Another source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said some cases are being referred to Chisenjere Magistrate’s Court located about 18 kilometres from South Lunzu.

An irate mob on February 3 2016 burned down South Lunzu Magistrate’s Court in Blantyre, damaging two police vehicles and injuring two police officers in the process. The mob also destroyed court property, including files which were burnt to ashes.

The fracas started after Ndirande and Chileka police officers brought before the court suspects for hearing earlier in the day and the mob mistook them for murder suspects connected with an incident that happened in Machinjiri Township in the previous weeks. The mob wanted to take the law in its own hands by punishing the suspects.

South Lunzu Magistrate’s Court used to handle cases from Chileka Police, Chirimba Police Unit, Ndirande Police Sub-station, Machinjiri Police Unit and Blantyre Police Station.