Tadala Chinkwezule: One of 2022 Top 100 Female Lawyers in Africa

Tadala Chinkwezule is passionate about justice in all aspects of life.

She is particularly interested in the elimination of poverty and the empowerment of vulnerable people.

It is from this inspiration she desired to become a lawyer.

“My inspiration is the sense of justice I possess from a young age. I desire a better world for everyone, where basic needs are met, human rights are respected, protected, fulfilled and promoted,” she said.

In addition, Tadala practices as a Notary Public, Arbitrator and Commissioner of Oaths.

She was recognised as 2022 Top 100 Female Lawyers in Africa.

Tadala was also recognised under the Influencer Category by Courtroom Mail.

Her other recognitions include the Brilliant Legal Mind and Trailblazer by Young Feminist Network (Malawi), 2022 Woman to watch in Law by Institute for African Women in Law, 100 Women Lawyers of 2021 by Courtroom Mail and 2020 Women Lawyers Association member of the year.

“My journey has been interesting and I enjoy practising law. I started as a senior legal aid advocate at the formerly Department of Legal Aid [currently the Legal Aid Bureau] in January 2010,” she said.

In March 2013, Tadala joined the Malawi Revenue Authority as legal counsel.

Three years later, she joined AHL Group PLC as legal services manager where she also served as company secretary for the subsidiaries of the group—AHL Commodities Exchange Limited and AHL Chemicals and Steel Company Limited.

Early this year, she joined World Vision International (WVI) Malawi as legal and governance adviser.

She is council member of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association Head of the Division of the Junior Lawyers Forum.

Tadala has served as president of Women Lawyers Association in Malawi, vice-president of Malawi Law Society and council member of the Sadc Lawyers Association. 

“As legal and governance advisor for WVI, I provide legal counsel and guidance to management on operations. I provide company secretarial services to the advisory council. We have diverse projects, including health and nutrition, child protection, water, education, disaster management, faith and development. The legal services I provide, for instance such as contract reviews, ensure that WVI effectively implements these projects,” she said.

She also serves in diverse capacities in different organisations.

Currently, she is focusing on enhancing her arbitration skills and as such, one of the programmes she is involved in is the pilot programme of the International Chamber of Commerce— Hold the Door Open (HDO) initiative.

“I was recently selected as the only Malawian scholar of the first cohort of the HDO initiative after a competitive process where only 20 young African arbitration practitioners were selected to learn more and observe arbitration proceedings,” said Tadala.

The lawyer is also involved in humanitarian and charitable work in different capacities.

She volunteers in the mentorship of young men and women through different platforms with different organisations and on a one on one basis.

She was recruited as coordinator for a project on Legal Literacy where the Malawian Constitution was put in an accessible format, in both English and Chichewa.

The next phase of the project will be the distribution of the booklets, both hard copies and online copies, to institutions and individuals.

It ensures people are knowledgeable about their rights and the remedies.

“It is meant to promote human rights and constitutional literacy among citizens to empower citizens to effectively participate in governance issues and claim their rights while on the other hand fulfilling their responsibilities as provided in the Constitution,” she said.

Tadala also serves on a voluntary basis as board chair for Trans World Radio in Malawi and board member of Standing Voice which promotes the welfare of people living with albinism.

She added that people living with albinism face many human rights violations, including discrimination, violence and murder.

“It is, therefore, important that their welfare and human rights are protected, promoted, respected and fulfilled as everyone else,” she said.

She is also as board member of the Forum for African Women Educationalists in Malawi—which promotes the right to education and board member of Tikondane Children’s Club— which focuses on the welfare of street children in Malawi.

She is yet board member of Family Planning Association of Malawi and board member of Marble Hill University.

Tadala founded Estac Events, an event management firm that provides professional and tailor made event management services.

Under Estac Events, there is a platform called the Tipeze Flea Market for small and medium traders to sell their merchandise.

Through the Tipeze Flea Market, she has partnered with Cherie Blair Foundation to mentor women traders in Malawi.

“A personal achievement that brings positive results is the Tipeze Flea Market which started in 2016 and serves as an incubation hub for more than 1 000 small and medium enterprises who have benefited from marketing skills, built their clientele, increased their sales, visibility and grown their businesses with others by setting up shops and creating jobs,” said Tadala.

Most of the businesses within the market hub are run by women and the youth.

Tadala is 34 years old and married to Esau Chinkwezule. She is mother to Joshua and Ruth.

She was born to Simon and Emily Muyaya in Blantyre and has three sisters.

She lived and grew up within all regions of Malawi and has stayed in Lilongwe, Blantyre, Zomba and Mzuzu.

Tadala attended several primary schools and sat the Malawi School Leaving Certificate Examinations at Marymount Secondary School in Mzuzu.

She has a Master of Laws in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa from the Centre for Human Rights in University of Pretoria.

She has a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Malawi, Chancellor College.

She also has a diploma in International Commercial Arbitration from the Africa Arbitration Academy.

When asked what she likes best about what she does, Tadala explained that she finds joy in bringing positive change in the lives of people and communities.

“There is no satisfaction than seeing someone you have helped attain what they are entitled to and knowing you have made their lives better. I am also motivated by the vision of contributing to a better community, nation, region and world.

“I have learnt to contribute in different ways through the legal space, entrepreneurship, arbitration or just being supportive of others. I always aim to see the best in others and realise their potential,” she said.

About her career, Tadala is particularly proud of her tenure with Women Lawyer’s Association Malawi.

She was instrumental in the development of funding a project for a Women’s Shelter (WLA) through a £20 000 grant from Nick Webber Trust in UK.

The current WLA leadership has started constructing the shelter.

Her advice to young girls is to dream without any limit or fear as dreams are free and a person loses nothing by dreaming or attaining the vision they possess.

“I say this from a personal experience. I had a dream of being a lawyer. When I lived in Mzuzu, I always admired the Mzuzu High Court buildings. One day, I requested to see the inside of an actual court. I took in the ambience of the room, the wood and red leather chairs. It was a site to behold and at that moment, I envisioned myself in that room as a lawyer. I was greatly inspired and the rest is history,” said Tadala.

She said girls should put God at the centre of all their plans, work hard at school and find mentors to guide and direct them in the right path.

In her free time, the lawyer likes spending time with her family and friends.

She also enjoys exercising and sightseeing with her husband and children.

Tadala likes dancing to a wide variety of music.