By Vincent Gunde
Fear and panic have griped over Malawians that have greeted with shock and dismay the court injunction granted to the Malawi Police Service (MPS) stopping them from re- arresting MCP panga wielding suspects who are answering various charges ranging from terrorizing and hacking innocent people in the country.
There was silence in court when the order was pronounced letting the suspects walking to freedom, jubilations from their friends, and family members, hugging each other was the order of the day in disbelief that they were walking to freedom.
Despite the suspects’ earlier bail orders granted from various Magistrates courts, the police were seen re- arresting the suspects that they have other cases to answer and this prompted their Lawyer Jivason Kadzipatike to file judicial review to the High Court of Malawi.
The court has set 19th January, 2026 to start hearing the cases involving Eric Phakamisa, Munlo Makina, and Davie Malamula but there release from police custody have attracted questions of the safety of witnesses and those who were up in celebrations after their arrests.
Speaking through an audio clip, political activist Bon Kalindo has predicted that well educated people will one day put the country on fire observing that there is clear evidence that the suspects committed the crimes and disregarding this evidence, the court has freed the suspects.
Kalindo said the release of MCP panga wielding thugs from police custody has sent a strong message to Malawians that people who are connected to politicians with names in the country are safe unlike others who don’t have connections.
He said the court order to release the suspects has been greeted with fear by many Malawians that the country’s judicial system is rotten saying many people are not understanding how the learned Judge could allow such notorious criminals to walk to freedom.
The activist said to the communities the suspects are living, there are people like Sylvester Namiwa nursing big cuts, vehicles torched, property destroyed and more danger to them, they are suspected of having illegal guns.
He said he wished those that were harassed, hacked and terrorized were the learned Judges children, relatives and friends how would they have reacted to hear a fellow learned judge setting the suspects free?
“Malawi is slowly becoming a lawless country, to be highly educated is not leadership, Isaac Jomo Osman, a low educated person is now Blantyre City Mayor,” said Kalindo.
He has advised the DPP to have an emergency meeting so that they change the system in government observing that the current system is not conducive to them saying in most countries, soon after a political party is elected into government, they change the system to suit the new government.
Kalindo said the MCP thugs were moving with pangas in towns in full view of everyone and today, they have walked to freedom wondering what message has the court order of releasing them been interpreted among Malawians.
He has congratulated all newly elected Mayors of Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu and Zomba for their victories with an advice to them to make sure that their cities are clean and encouraging those that have received insults and castigations to forget and forge ahead.
