According to Nation Online, the Directorate of Public Prosecutions formally discontinued criminal proceedings against former Lands Minister Symon Vuwa Kaunda and his co-accused on June 4. The Anti-Corruption Bureau requested the case closure after its key witness, former Commissioner of Lands Kilian Palika, relocated to the United States. The decision also clears Charles Mchacha and Lloyd Muhara of their respective charges linked to the alleged illegal sale of public land.
In a separate legal development, former Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority Director General Eddington Chilapondwa has filed a case at the Industrial Relations Court to contest his recent dismissal, reports Nation Online. Chilapondwa argues that his initial suspension in January was unlawful because it was authorised by Secretary to the Treasury Cliff Chiunda rather than the authority's board.
Meanwhile, a governance dispute is escalating within Malawian football. The National Football Coaches Association has filed a formal complaint with the Malawi National Council of Sports, accusing the Football Association of Malawi of illegally expelling three affiliates, according to Nation Online. The coaches claim the association is manipulating governance structures ahead of its Annual General Meeting scheduled for June 27.
Update: The Economics Association of Malawi has warned that the government's draft National Economic Recovery Plan contains significant gaps. As reported by Nation Online, the association stated that the strategy fails to adequately address structural weaknesses in export diversification, foreign exchange generation, and public expenditure management. The group noted that public investment remains disproportionately concentrated in agriculture at the expense of other potential foreign exchange earners like tourism and mining.