Terminally ill prisoner dies
A terminally ill rape convict who was refused pardon alongside 377 inmates during the 2012 Independence Celebrations has finally died.
The prisoner, Daniel Banda, died on March 14 2013 and was buried on March 15 2013 at his Matindi Village in the area of chief Mlumbe in Zomba.
According to a source, Banda passed away at Zomba Maximum Security Prison where he was serving time for defilement.
Malawi Prisons Service spokesperson Evance Phiri said on Thursday he needed time to check on details surrounding the death of Banda as he was attending a meeting in Lilongwe.
Banda was among the 11 rape and defilement convicts President Joyce Banda refused to pardon in line with her zero- tolerance to violence against women and children.
Said the President in refusing to pardon such convicts: “I wish to inform the nation that I have rejected 11 applications for the pardon of inmates serving sentences for defilement. I have rejected this in line with zero tolerance to violence against women and children.
“One of them has a liver problem, but we will bury him if need be because he knowingly doomed the future of a young girl who he raped repeatedly.”
Ironically, the President released her relative Agala Festone Kuiwenga who was serving a nine-year jail term for a similar crime Daniel Banda committed.
The move sparked off violent protests which claimed at a least a life at Zomba Maximum Security Prison.
The other inmate that the President released alongside her relative was George Allan Nyambi, a relation of Senior Chief Nyambi of Machinga, who was serving time for murder. The rioting prisoners claimed the two were favoured due to their connection to high places.
As part of Independence Day Celebrations, the President used her powers as stipulated in Section 89 sub-section 2 of the Constitution to grant the pardons.
