Embattled Blantyre Water Board (BWB) chief executive officer Yeremia Chihana has obtained a fresh court order reinstating him at the helm of the public water utility.
In a two-pronged fight against his suspension earlier last month, Chihana has also filed an appeal in the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal challenging a High Court of Malawi ruling that lifted judicial protection against his suspension on Tuesday.
The High Court yesterday granted Chihana permission to appeal and suspended enforcement of the May 19 2026 ruling that lifted his earlier relief and advised him to file his labour dispute in the Industrial Relations Court.
relief: Chihana.
| Nation
The court yesterday said it was satisfied that Chihana’s application was urgent and that the intended appeal “raises serious arguable questions”.
The order further restrains BWB from “enforcing, implementing, relying upon, publishing or otherwise giving effect” to the suspension decision.
Meanwhile, in a notice of appeal filed yesterday through his lawyer Michael Goba Chipeta, Chihana argued that the High Court erred in treating the matter as an ordinary employment dispute instead of a public law issue involving the administration of a statutory public institution.
The appeal follows High Court judge Allan Muhome’s ruling on Tuesday which discharged permission for judicial review and removed an earlier stay order that had temporarily blocked the suspension imposed by BWB on April 27 2026.
Chihana argues that the court failed to appreciate that the dispute extends beyond private employment relations because it concerns “the legality, procedural fairness, reasons, bad faith and public-law consequences of a statutory water board’s decision to suspend and functionally displace its chief executive officer”.
He wants the Supreme Court to restore judicial review proceedings, reinstate the earlier stay order and ensure urgent hearing of the substantive matter before a different judge.
However, before the interim relief was granted yesterday, BWB had already circulated an internal memorandum to staff reaffirming Chihana’s suspension.
BWB board of directors suspended Chihana last month over a litany of allegations, including bypassing the board in facilitating arrests of acting directors.
