Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Secretary General Richard Chimwendo Banda is set to spend the Christmas and New Year holidays in prison after the Lilongwe Chief Resident Magistrate’s Court ordered his remand, pending committal to the High Court on an attempted murder charge.
Chief Resident Magistrate Austin Banda ruled that Chimwendo Banda be remanded to prison but ordered that he first be taken to a hospital of his choice for medical examination, following concerns raised by the defence over his deteriorating health.
Chimwendo Banda and co-accused Alfred Dala Kadula were brought before the court for committal proceedings. The magistrate questioned how Kadula had been brought before court without having been arrested.
However, the court declined to remand Kadula, noting that there is a standing injunction restraining the State from arresting or detaining him in relation to political violence cases.
Defence lawyer George Kadzipatike told the court that Chimwendo Banda has been seriously ill since his arrest on Friday and that police ignored requests to take him to hospital. He said the MCP secretary general has a long-standing medical condition and was referred to South Africa for treatment in 2024, adding that his condition worsened while in police custody.
As Chimwendo Banda remains behind bars, the contrasting court outcomes have intensified political debate, with supporters describing the remand as harsh, while critics argue the law must take its course.