Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Director of Youth, Baba Steven Malondera, has condemned the continued detention of the party’s Secretary General, Richard Chimwendo Banda.
Chimwendo Banda, a former Cabinet minister during immediate-past president Lazarus Chakwera’s tenure, was arrested on December 12 a after he handed himself over to the police.
The State is yet to formally charge him and High Court Judge Mzonde Mvula is yet to deliver a ruling on his bail application.
“Malawians must pause and reflect on a troubling development that strikes at the very heart of justice, constitutionalism, and our collective conscience as a nation.
“It has now been 27 days since the arrest of the Malawi Congress Party Secretary General, Honourable Richard Chimwendo, MP who was taken into custody on 12 December on an allegation of attempted murder, infact anakazipeleka yekha upon hearing that the police was looking for him. Nearly a month later, no formal charge has been laid before any competent court. This is not a matter of political opinion but a matter of record.
“On 24 December, bail was duly applied for. The youthful presiding Judge, Justice Mzondi Mvula, indicated that a ruling would be communicated via email. To date, that ruling has not been delivered. Silence has replaced due process. Delay has substituted justice. This is poor bias for action especially knowing that the judge is still young.
“As Director of Youth for MCP, I have spent these painful weeks restraining and calming our young people, many of whom are understandably angry, confused, and deeply wounded by what they perceive as selective justice. Some have called for mobilisation and demonstrations. I have time and again consistently advised restraint, urging patience and respect for the State and the Judiciary to do their work without pressure or provocation. But patience is not infinite—especially when it is met with what increasingly appears to be deliberate and calculated inertia.
“Detention without charge, without trial, and without timely judicial determination is not only unjust—it is completely illegal. It violates the tenets of the mighty Constitution. It offends every principle of natural justice. This sets a dangerous precedent that tomorrow could be used against any Malawian, regardless of political, religious affiliation or ethnic grouping.
“We must ask, openly and honestly: Why is a citizen being held for nearly a month without charge? Why has a bail ruling been withheld without explanation? And whose strong hand benefits from this prolonged detention?
“When the law is bent to punish individuals, the entire nation becomes unsafe. History teaches us that injustice tolerated today becomes chaos tomorrow. A country cannot be governed by silence, fear, or the selective application of the law.
“I, therefore, condemn in the strongest possible terms the continued detention of Honourable Richard Chimwendo Banda, MP without trial. I call upon the State and the Judiciary to act urgently, transparently, and lawfully. Justice delayed is justice denied—and justice denied is a spark that can ignite instability.
“At the same time, I urge MCP youths and all young Malawians to remain peaceful and disciplined. Do not be provoked into actions that may harm our country. Our strength must remain moral, lawful, and principled. But let it be very clear: peace must never be mistaken for weakness, and patience must never be abused. Malawi deserves better!!! Justice must not hide behind silence. And freedom must never be held hostage by power,” he wrote on his official Facebook page
