Blantyre Water Board (BWB) is facing renewed financial and legal pressure, according to The Nation. The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) has threatened to disconnect power at the BWB head office on September 14. Escom chief executive officer William Kaipa issued a 14-day notice on September 1, citing the water board's failure to settle a K1.6 billion outstanding balance after paying only K400 million toward an agreed K2 billion commitment for August.
In a separate legal development on September 10, the High Court's Commercial Division halted the enforcement of a previous judgment that had ordered BWB to pay K2.5 billion to an ICT supplier, The Nation reports.
Meanwhile, human rights activist and lawyer Alexious Kamangila is challenging court delays in a defamation case brought against him by High Court Judge Kenan Manda, according to Malawi24. In May, High Court Judge Howard Pemba struck out Kamangila's statement of defense and entered a default judgment on liability. Kamangila filed an application on July 13 to set aside that order but has not yet received a hearing date.
In a letter sent to Judge Pemba on September 11, Kamangila stated that the two-month wait for a date is unjustly denying him the opportunity to be heard in court.