Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs Charles Mhango has lamented the lost opportunity to improve access to justice during the first six years of Malawi 2063 (MW2063) First 10-Year Implementation Plan (MIP-1).
The minister, speaking during his visit to the ruins of what used to be Mzenga Magistrate’s Court in Nkhata Bay District last week, noted that Malawi is witnessing a serious problem in terms of access to justice as evidenced by such dilapidated infrastructure.
doing justice. | Ralph Mvona
“The court building is dilapidated. Houses meant for judicial staff are in ruins and [have] been encroached. It is more than 45 kilometres [km] from Nkhata Bay to this place when in fact the recommended distance between one court and another should be less than 35km,” said Mhango at the abandoned facility that has had no resident magistrate for 30 years.
He said the picture he saw during his tour is that the justice delivery sector has lost the first six years of implementing MW2063.
“This is not what I should be seeing in 2026. We are not doing justice to our citizens,” said Mhango.
National Planning Commission director general Frederick Changaya, in an interview yesterday, agreed with Mhango’s observations and said the strategy for any effective national development blueprint lies in the rule of law and good governance systems.
He said Malawi should improve access to justice, noting that the little resources available coupled with abuse of public funds has limited infrastructure development for the Judiciary.
“We need to work hard on both infrastructure and human capital development for the justice system. We also need to hold each other to account on abuse of funds meant for maintenance and construction of public infrastructure,” said Changaya.
National Advocacy Platform chairperson Benedicto Kondowe said a justice system where courts remain dilapidated and non-functional for decades not only represents infrastructure failure but also exclusion, inequality and abandonment of justice.
In August 2025, Malawi Human Rights Commission said it had established that access to justice in the country is poor due to several challenges, including high cost of legal services, limited availability of courts and delayed judgements.
Under Enabler 2 of the MIP-1 on effective governance systems and institutions, improved adherence to the rule of law is a desired outcome built with key strategies and interventions.
