Private practice lawyer Alexious Kamangila has named 17 witnesses, including Chief Justice Rizine Mzikamanda, in a defamation case brought against him by High Court Commercial Division Judge Kenan Manda, according to Nation Online. Presenting his trial checklist before High Court Judge Howard Pemba, Kamangila indicated that 15 of his witnesses will need to be subpoenaed. The list features prominent legal figures such as Deputy Chief Justice Lovemore Chikopa, Malawi Law Society president Davis Njobvu, and Anti-Corruption Bureau acting director general Gabriel Chembezi. Judge Manda sued the lawyer over social media posts accusing the judge of misconduct. Judge Pemba scheduled the hearing for two days in May 2026, Nation Online reports.
Update: The political dispute in Karonga Nyungwe has escalated, with UTM incumbent parliamentarian Keneth Ndovie calling for police to arrest his Democratic Progressive Party rival, Wilson Mavwanya Sichali. According to Nyasa Times, Ndovie alleged that Sichali plotted to assassinate him to reclaim the parliamentary seat through a by-election. Sichali dismissed the accusations as laughable propaganda and confirmed he had been contacted by senior officers at the national police headquarters in Lilongwe and the Northern Regional Police Headquarters inquiring about a purported arrest warrant. A local political analyst cautioned authorities to handle the matter sensitively to avoid persecuting innocent individuals based on political friction, Nyasa Times noted.
In international human rights news, Amnesty International released a report highlighting major legal victories, including a recent ruling by the Malawi High Court. The court awarded damages to a 14-year-old rape survivor who was denied a safe abortion, Amnesty International reports. The organisation noted that the judgment affirmed the procedure is essential for protecting the lives and dignity of women and girls under the Gender Equality Act, setting a legal precedent in a country where abortion remains largely criminalised.