Search causes fracas at Zomba Prison
Cell 61 occupants and warders at Zomba Central Prison allegedly clashed on Christmas Eve as the prisoners protested a search operation, Nation on Sunday has learnt.
Reports indicate that one inmate died at Zomba Central Hospital on Friday following the incident, but authorities have disputed the claims, saying the deceased was chronically ill.
Malawi Prison Service spokesperson Evance Phiri in an interview on Saturday confirmed death of a prisoner in hospital on Friday, but disputed reports of any fight.
Said Phiri yesterday: “It is true we conducted a search on Wednesday as we approached Christmas to avoid breakout cases, but there was no fight.
“The prisoner who died was HIV positive and was on treatment. The records in his hospital file are clear, he had no injuries whatsoever.”
The free-for-all battle, according to some insiders, started when prisoners jailed for murder refused to be searched.
Some warders who were involved in the search operation confirmed the incident in separate interviews, saying some of their colleagues suffered injuries.
The sources said the search operation was conducted in all other cells, but when the warders got to Cell 61, where condemned inmates are kept, the occupants refused to be searched; hence, a fracas ensued.
The sources further said gunshots were fired in the air and whistles blown to scare the prisoners, but it did not help to stop the fracas which involved about 40 inmates and 40 warders.
One source said: “The murder prisoners felt the search was inhuman because it required them to undress and be searched everywhere. What irked them most was that [among the warders] were recruits from Mapanga Prison Training School and they [the prisoners] felt that the trainees were too young to look at the prisoners’ naked bodies.”
The source claimed that the prisoners later surrendered and allowed to be searched.
Zomba Central Hospital director Dr Martias Joshua said he was on holiday and had no information about any hospitalised prisoners or warders.
