Pali nthawi imene kukhala chete kumasanduka kupereka chiwembu. Kwa Amalawi ambiri, nthawiyo idafika kale pankhani ya makhoti ya dziko lino. Kale inkadziwika ngati khoma lomaliza loteteza nzika wamba, koma lero ma khoti ya Malawi ikuwonedwa ngati yosakhulupirika, yosankha anthu, komanso yosamvera mavuto a anthu amene iyenera kuwatumikira.
M’dziko lonse, chikhulupiriro cha anthu pa makhothi chawonongeka. Chilungamo sichikuwonedwanso ngati chosalowerera ndale, koma ngati chosankhika—chokondera olemera, andale, ndi amphamvu. Kwa osauka ndi opanda mphamvu, makhothi asanduka malo a chisoni, pomwe milandu imangokokedwa, zigamulo sizimveka, ndipo udindo umachedwetsedwa mpaka kutheratu.
Kuwonongeka kwa chikhulupirirochi sikunachitike tsiku limodzi. Kwakhazikitsidwa pang’onopang’ono kudzera mu ma injunction okayikitsa, ma bail osamveka, kuthamanga kosankha pa milandu, komanso kusafuna kuthana mwamphamvu ndi milandu ya katangale ya anthu akuluakulu. Pomwe anthu ang’onoang’ono amalangidwa msanga, akuba akuluakulu a chuma cha dziko amayenda momasuka, atadziteteza ndi malamulo ndi njira za pa khothi.
Pochita zimenezi, ma khoti sikungolephera Amalawi okha—koma ikulimbikitsa katangale. Pamene akuba chuma cha boma akudziwa kuti angabisale kumbuyo kwa malamulo, katangale umasanduka wopanda chiopsezo koma wokolola kwambiri. Zotsatira zake n’zodziwikiratu: zipatala zopanda mankhwala, masukulu opanda aphunzitsi, misewu yowonongeka mvula yoyamba isanagwe, ndi chuma cha dziko chokokedwa ndi kusalangidwa.
Khoti yomwe imalekerera katangale si yosalowerera; ndi mnzake. Ndipo judiciary yotere imasanduka chimodzi mwa zifukwa zazikulu za umphawi wa dziko. Mlandu uliwonse wa katangale wochedwetsedwa, injunction iliyonse yosamveka, ndi chigamulo chilichonse choletsedwa ndi nthawi zimakhala ndi mtengo weniweni—wowerengedwa mu njala, kusowa ntchito, ndi kutayika kwa chiyembekezo.
Choopsa kwambiri n’chakuti mmene judiciary ikuwonekera ngati yagwidwa ndi amphamvu kukuphwanya demokalase. Anthu akasiya kukhulupirira kuti makhothi angapereke chilungamo, amayamba kukhumudwa, kukwiya, kapena kuchita zinthu zopanda lamulo. Mgwirizano wa anthu umasweka. Ulemu wa mabungwe umafa. Ulamuliro wa malamulo umasanduka mawu okha, osati zenizeni.
Izi si kuukira oweruza onse. Alipobe oweruza ndi akuluakulu a khoti omwe amagwira ntchito ndi mtima wonse ndi chilungamo. Koma mabungwe amaweruzidwa ndi zotsatira zake, osati lonjezo. Ndipo zotsatira lero zikuwonekeratu: Amalawi akutaya chikhulupiriro.
Khoti iyenera kubwezeretsa ulemu wake mwachangu. Zikutanthauza kuwonekera poyera, kugwira ntchito mofanana kwa onse, ndi kulimba mtima—makamaka pa milandu yokhudza anthu amphamvu. Zikutanthauza kukumbukira kuti kudziyimira pawokha kwa judiciary si chitetezo cha zolakwa, koma udindo wopereka chilungamo mopanda mantha kapena kukondera.
Ngati izi sizichitika, mbiri idzalemba chowawa ichi: kuti kugwera kwa Malawi mu umphawi waukulu sikunayambitsidwe ndi andale achinyengo okha, komanso ndi judiciary yomwe idalephera kuwaletsa pamene nthawi inali yoyenera.
