Panga-wielding suspects found with case to answer

Eight panga-wielding suspects accused of injuring a civil servant during a 2025 pay rise protest will now have to defend themselves after the Lilongwe Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court found them with a case to answer.

The suspects, namely Eric Phakamisa, Bruno Makina, Davie Malamula, Alfred Kadula, Lameck Manduwa Mkasa, Howard Anusa Kadango, Lester Kanjunga and Issa Saidi, were charged with acts intended to cause grievous harm after attacking a primary school teacher identified as Monica Mkandawire with a panga.

In the incident, the civil servants had gathered at Botanical Gardens in Lilongwe to protest against a 20 percent salary increase effected by the then Malawi Congress Party administration when they wanted 40 percent.

Mwayiulipo: We are

happy with the ruling.

| George Singini

Delivering his ruling yesterday, Lilongwe senior resident magistrate Bracious Kondowe said the prosecution presented sufficient evidence to require the eight accused persons to defend themselves against the charge.

He said: “The prosecution case is sufficient to require the eight accused persons to answer the charge.”

Three of the accused persons were absent when the court delivered the ruling. The court learnt that two were reportedly attending a funeral in Blantyre while the third was unwell.

Their lawyer Isabel Gadama told the court she will communicate the ruling to them.

The case has since been adjourned to December 7 2026 when the defence is expected to begin presenting its evidence.

Malawi Police Service head of prosecution Prescott Mwayiulipo welcomed the ruling, saying he was pleased that the court had found the accused persons with a case to answer and was handling the matter expeditiously.

“We had 10 witnesses in the matter, and it has taken the court to ensure that the case is expedited,” he said.

In March 2025, a group of people armed with pangas and other weapons attacked civil servants who planned a peaceful demonstration in Lilongwe to demand a higher increment than the 20 percent government offered.

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