The High Court has denied bail to Annie Debre Mumba, who is serving a 53-year sentence for the murder of her husband, Peter Mumba, who was a professor of chemistry at Lilongwe of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR ).
In a ruling delivered on July 28, Justice Mzonde Mvula dismissed Mumba’s request for release pending appeal, stating that she was rightly convicted and no longer enjoys the presumption of innocence.
“The facts have been tried in full,any attempt to go out from prison on bail pending appeal is a mockery to the criminal justice system,” ruled Mvula .
Annie Mumba
Mumba was convicted in October 2024.
Her lawyers contended that the conviction was not supported beyond reasonable doubt and argued that the sentence was excessive.
However, the state maintained that she had failed to demonstrate ‘exceptional and unusual circumstances’ warranting bail.
The High Court in Lilongwe has dismissed an application by Norman Chisale seeking to have his criminal case referred to the Chief Justice for certification as a constitutional matter.
Chisale is answering charges of personation of a person named in a certificate contrary to Section 391 as read with Section 358 of the Penal Code, presenting false information to a public officer contrary to Section 122(a) of the Penal Code, and intimidation, contrary to Section 88(1)(a) of the Penal Code.
Chisale
The charges date back to 1996 and 2010.
He had argued that the 28-year delay in prosecuting the matter infringed on his constitutional right to a fair trial particularly the right to be tried within a reasonable time and to effectively challenge evidence.
In a ruling dated September 2, 2025, Justice Kondwani Banda observed that although the Courts Act does not expressly provide a procedure for magistrates to refer constitutional questions to the Chief Justice, the High Court retains inherent jurisdiction to ensure access to justice is not denied.
However, the judge held that Chisale’s application did not meet the threshold for certification as a constitutional matter.
The State, in its submissions, maintained that prosecution of the case only commenced in 2020 and argued that delays were partly caused by Chisale himself through numerous applications and appeals.
Reads part of the ruling:“Without going much further, it is upon considering the affidavits of both parties in support and against, and further upon hearing the parties, that I find the matter not fit to be referred to the Chief Justice by this court for certification as a constitutional matter. For the avoidance of doubt, this application is dismissed with costs.”
Speaking after the ruling, Chisale’s lawyer, Gilbert Khongongwa, said he is still consulting his client on the next course of action.
The Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal is set to hear an appeal by business mogul Thomson Mpinganjira on November 18,2025, in which he is challenging his conviction for attempting to bribe judges in the 2019 presidential election case.
According to a court notice seen by this publication, the hearing will begin at 9 a.m. in Blantyre.
Mpinganjira, founder of FDH Bank, was in 2021 sentenced to nine years in prison after the High Court found him guilty of offering inducements to Constitutional Court judges presiding over the election petition.
He has consistently maintained his innocence, with his lawyers arguing that the trial was flawed.
In 2022, the Supreme Court granted him bail pending the outcome of the appeal.
Political analyst Burnett Munthali, says if one party’s nominees are consistently rejected, it undermines multiparty representation at the Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) and this risks creating perceptions of bias in the management of elections.
Munthali’s remarks are coming in the wake of government’s rejection for the third time a candidate submitted by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for the appointment as Mec Commissioner by President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera- the appointing authority.
The DPP first submitted the name of Mackford Somanje to replace resigned Mec Commissioner Francis Kasaila, Somanje’s name was rejected by the appointing authority making the DPP to choose another one.
Munthali
The party settled for Mayamiko Nkoloma as its Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) expert, the name was rejected for the second time for the reasons best explained by the appointing authority- President Chakwera.
The DPP did not lose hope but to submit another name to be its ICT expert at Mec- Charles Fodya, the appointing authority has again rejected his appointment making many Malawians to speak on top of their voices that what exactly President Chakwera wants from the DPP?
Munthali said according to Section 75 of the Constitution of Malawi, all political parties represented in Parliament are entitled to nominate commissioners to the Mec saying the President has the power to appoint, but his power is not absolute-it must respect the principle of inclusivity and fairness.
“It is not about names of commissioners- it is about electoral credibility, Constitutionalism, and political legitimacy,” he said.
Business entrepreneur Kondwani Kachamba Ngwira has asked the MCP led government under President Chakwera that what are they afraid of by rejecting three names submitted by the DPP, appealing to it to say who do they want from the DPP to be appointed Mec Commissioner.
Kachamba Ngwira says this kind of politics has no space in modern Malawi observing that Malawi is not ruled by a military Junta saying the country is for all, the MCP government is doing all of what it can for one to commit an offence to advance in their political agenda.
‘This one is black, this one eats mice, this one is purely white, what the MCP wants from DPP will be known, this is not normal, raises an alarm, the reason behind, very shameful,” reads his writings on the wall.
Malawi’s Super League giants Silver Strikers, are facing uncertainty ahead of their crucial CAF Champions League tie against ASSM Elgeco Plus of Madagascar after their opponents failed to confirm which stadium will host the first-leg encounter.
The Malagasy club has not yet designated its official home ground, creating serious logistical and preparation challenges for the Central Bankers.
This comes despite CAF regulations requiring participating clubs to submit stadium details by August 19, 2025, to ensure proper planning and organization.
Silver Strikers are scheduled to face Elgeco Plus away on September 21, 2025, before hosting the return leg at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe on September 26, 2025.
However with just weeks before the trip, the uncertainty surrounding the match venue has left the Malawian side frustrated and scrambling for last-minute travel arrangements.
Reports indicate that the game may eventually be staged in Mauritius, at the Coté d’Or National Sports Complex, due to Madagascar’s failure to meet CAF’s stadium requirements.
This possibility adds another layer of complexity for Silver Strikers who must now prepare for an international trip without clear travel details.
The development has raised concerns among Silver’s technical panel and management. Club officials worry that the lack of clarity will disrupt their pre-match preparations, especially regarding travel logistics, accommodation and acclimatization plans.
CAF rules state that failure to meet deadlines could result in penalties, including matches being relocated to neutral venues or in extreme cases, forfeiture but CAF has not yet issued a statement on the matter.
Silver Strikers will be representing Malawi as the country’s league champions and expectations are high for them to make a deep run in the tournament.
