Police ignorance causing congestion in prisons
The police’s ignorance of how to interpret rogue and vagabond laws has led to congestion in prisons, deputy commissioner of police Tereza Nankhuni said on Wednesday.
Nankhuni was speaking at Police Cottage in Mangochi during a training of trainers meeting on the interpretation of rogue and vagabond laws.
Speaking during the opening ceremony, Nankhuni noted that capacity building is one of the pillars that enhance effectiveness and efficiency in many organisations and Malawi Police is no exception.
“For the effective enforcement of the law by our officers, they must make correct interpretations of the same. Sadly though, our officers lack the capacity to interpret some sections of the law they enforce; hence, they infringe on the rights of citizenry,” said Nankhuni.
Speaking during the same function, Prison Inspectorate Committee chairperson Justice Kenan Manda said rogue and vagabond laws are abused.
Referring to recent press reports where 26 Balaka residents were arrested and fined and those who failed to pay were taken to prisons, Manda said if such exercises are done every day across the country, the situation in prisons could become unmanageable.
“During the visits that we had at the prisons, we have observed that the cells are packed. We also observed that women are especially targeted in the sweeping exercises leaving men,” he said.
The workshop was organised by Centre for Human Rights Education, Advice and Assistance (Chreaa) with funding from the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa (Osisa).
