Malawian government agencies have arrested 400 individuals and seized tonnes of gemstones and grammes of gold during a month-long operation against illegal mining, according to Malawi Nation. The Joint Task Force, commanded by Major General Lackson Phiri of the Malawi Defence Force, carried out the enforcement actions across the Mzimba, Dowa, and Kasungu districts. The operation featured coordination between the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Mining, and the Malawi Mining Investment Company.
In legal developments, a recent Afrobarometer survey has reopened the national debate over the death penalty, Nation Online reports. The study reveals divided public opinions on whether to abolish capital punishment, with 50 percent opposed to the penalty and 48 percent in support. The legal status of the sentence has been a frequent subject of debate since the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal ruled in August 2021 that the death penalty had never been formally abolished and remains a valid sentencing option for High Court judges.
Minister of Homeland Security Peter Mukhito has directed the Malawi Police Service to increase its collaboration with the Southern African Regional Police Chiefs Cooperation Organisation, according to Malawi Nation. Inspector General of Police Richard Luhanga, serving as the outgoing chairperson for the regional police body during its 31st Annual General Meeting in Lilongwe, stated that member nations are advancing their implementation of regional security agreements, which includes establishing new transnational crime strategies.
Update: The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed the Anti-Corruption Bureau to drop criminal bribery proceedings against convicted wildlife trafficker Lin Yun Hua to handle the matter administratively, drawing protests from civil society groups, Nation Online reports. Lin received a presidential pardon last year for his wildlife offences but faced separate charges for allegedly offering 30 million kwacha and a house to Maula Prison officials while on remand in 2019.