A cross-border transport operator has accused a Dedza Road Traffic officer of unlawfully detaining his South Africa–registered bus and demanding a bribe of MK550,000, resulting in severe financial losses and widespread travel disruptions for passengers.
The incident occurred on Thursday, August 6, at Dedza’s Kalinyeke Weight Bridge, where the bus was stopped for a permit inspection. According to the operator, the officer claimed that all South African–registered buses had fake cross-border permits and that drivers typically “pay MK600,000 to be allowed to proceed.”
The bus driver reportedly explained that their permit was genuine, obtained and paid for by the owner himself. However, the officer insisted that without payment, the bus would not be allowed to move. When the operator spoke directly to the officer, the reason for detention shifted — the officer alleged that the permit listed “Johannesburg to Blantyre and Lilongwe” as the final destinations, but the bus had not passed through Blantyre.
“I told him Dedza is before Lilongwe. We would only be breaking the law if we passed Lilongwe without stopping,” the operator said. “We had no passengers going to Blantyre, so why should we waste time and fuel going there?”
The operator escalated the matter to senior Road Traffic authorities in Lilongwe, who reportedly promised to intervene. However, hours passed without resolution, and calls to the regional manager eventually went unanswered.
In the meantime, the driver allegedly negotiated with the Dedza officer to pay MK50,000 in order to be allowed to proceed to Lilongwe, leaving the bus’s documents behind on the understanding that the remaining MK550,000 would be sent later. The operator says he refused to pay the balance, insisting that no law had been broken.
As a result, the bus remains without its documents, forcing the company to cancel multiple trips between Malawi and Johannesburg. The operator estimates losses exceeding MK60 million due to cancellations, refunds, and operational disruption.
“This is daylight robbery. One traffic officer’s demand for a bribe has crippled our operations and inconvenienced hundreds of passengers,” the operator lamented.
Efforts to recover the documents through official channels have so far failed, and the company is now appealing for urgent intervention from higher government authorities to resolve the matter and hold those responsible to account.
