By Vincent Gunde
A concerned citizen of Malawi Mrs. Elizabeth Kaliza Banda, has called on government to review and revisit all suspected murder charges in the country’s prisons claiming that others are on remand for five years and have not been brought to court for their cases to be heard.
Kaliza Banda said many innocent people are languishing in the country’s prisons for committing no offence at all because of failing to express themselves before Magistrates and as a result, they were convicted and are serving prison sentences.
She said visiting prisons, one could shed tears hearing cries of inmates who have not been taken to court to prove them guilty or not because they are poor and cannot afford to buy lawyers to represent them so that they can walk to freedom.
The concerned citizen has noted that with growing concerns by some human rights institutions pressing for bail to be granted to MCP Secretary General Richard Chimwendo Banda, there is a possibility that he can walk to freedom.
Kaliza Banda said other inmates who are remanded in various prisons across the country for committing murder charges, could also be considered for bail not only to Chimwendo Banda because of the position in his party and money status.
Richard Chimwendo through his Lawyer George Jivason Kadzipatike has filed an urgent appeal in the Supreme Court of Malawi to stay a remand warrant which was issued by the Magistrate court in Lilongwe on the 15th December, 2025.
According to Lawyer Kadzipatike, appealing to the Supreme Court of Appeal will be the quickest way of releasing Chimwendo Banda from the unlawful detention claiming that his client, is innocent, the State has not provided any evidence linking him to the allegation that he murdered Frank Chiwanda in 2021.
On the 24th December, 2025 Chimwendo Banda was brought before High Court Judge Mzondi Mvula to hear an application for bail ruling but the judge has not ruled on the matter after hearing all submissions from both the state and Defense teams.
Kaliza Banda said just as Chimwendo Banda’s lawyer Kadzipatike has said that his client is innocent, this should be applied on all those suspected to have committed murder cases, have not been brought to courts for hearing on their sides, and are languishing in the country’s prisons that they all innocent hence, to be granted bail.
She said Chimwendo Banda’s walking to freedom from the attempted murder charge will be a litmus test to the country’s Supreme law of the land- the Constitution that it has so many loopholes demanding for review, revisit and amendment.
“If the country’s lawsare for equal justice regardless of one being poor or rich, if Malawi prisons were built to accommodate the poor, Chimwendo Banda’s case will prove it out,” said Kaliza Banda.
