By Staff Reporter
The Malawi First movement has launched a blistering attack on the country’s justice system following a controversial High Court ruling that barred the re-arrest of Richard Chimwendo Banda, a decision the group says exposes deep rot within the judiciary.
In unusually blunt language, Malawi First questions what special privilege Chimwendo Banda enjoys to warrant protection from re-arrest, while countless ordinary Malawians languish in overcrowded prisons for years without trial. According to the group, the ruling is not an isolated incident but part of a disturbing pattern where wealth and political influence appear to outweigh justice.
“The courts have become a safe haven for the powerful,” the group argues, claiming that poor suspects routinely rot on remand for years, while politically connected or wealthy individuals secure swift release through legal manoeuvres. To Malawi First, this is not justice—it is discrimination dressed in legal robes.
The group has demanded that justice be applied equally, warning that the judiciary risks losing public trust if it continues to appear biased toward politicians and elites. They insist that courts must serve the law, not political interests.
Speaking during a press briefing, Lyton Mangochi recalled past warnings from legal professionals who openly accused the judiciary of corruption. He said recent developments only reinforce those concerns, painting a picture of a justice system that is increasingly detached from the suffering of ordinary citizens.
Malawi First has strongly condemned the High Court decision that not only released Chimwendo Banda but also imposed conditions preventing his re-arrest. The group says the ruling must be thoroughly investigated, arguing that it sends a dangerous message: that some people in Malawi are above the law.
In a bold escalation, Malawi First has called on Malawians to rise up and demonstrate, framing the issue as a national crisis rather than a single court case. To them, this is about the soul of the country’s justice system.
Bon Kalindo and other senior members of Malawi First made these remarks at a press conference they convened, vowing to continue applying pressure until, in their words, “justice stops being a privilege and becomes a right for all Malawians.”
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