Mukhito, others risk arrest
Malawi’s State House chief of staff Peter Mukhito, a former inspector general of police, and several other senior officers at State Residences, face possible arrest for disobeying court orders.
The development follows a ruling on November 6 2014 by the Industrial Relations Court (IRC) that served State House with an injunction restraining it from proceeding with plans to post over 20 of its household staff from State Residences.
However, Mukhito, director of State Residences Leckford Palani, deputy guard commander George Chikhungu and other top State House officials allegedly disobeyed the court order.
Our sister newspaper, Weekend Nation, recently reported that State House defied the order and went ahead to evict Violet Nyirongo, Margaret Kazembe, Stella Mwembera, Henry Kambanje, Arabi Diastone, Sam Boniface, George Chitokoto and Paul Banda from their homes.
This was contrary to orders by the court to the effect that State House should clearly indicate new work stations for the applicants before posting them.
However, lawyer for the evicted staff, William Zapinga, has asked the court to commit Mukhito and the other officers to prison for refusing and failing to obey a court order.
“I humbly, but firmly pray to this honourable court to make an order committing the five State House top officials to prison for refusing and/or neglecting or failing to obey the court order dated 6th November 2014 for a period of time this honourable court deems fit and appropriate until they obey the court order,” reads part of the court order dated January 20 2015.
The court document also indicates that the respondents did not comply with the court order by not filing with the court the new posting instructions and never served the same to the applicants’ legal practitioners; hence, the committal.
Attorney General KalekeniKaphale, in an interview yesterday, confirmed knowledge of the case, saying he was following it and had assigned a lawyer.
However, he said he cannot comment further until he is served with the latest order.
