Court shields Chimwendo Banda from suspension

A move that threatened to deepen the leadership crisis in the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has hit a legal wall after the High Court in Lilongwe stepped in to protect Secretary General Richard Chimwendo Banda.

The dispute stems from MCP’s loss in the 2025 General Elections, in which party president Lazarus Chakwera conceded defeat to Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Peter Mutharika.

Last Tuesday a group calling itself the MCP Veteran Management Committee allegedly attempted to seal Chimwendo Banda’s office, accusing him of responsibility for the party’s defeat in the 2025 polls.

The defendants are William Phakamisa, Frank Chatanga, Dyson Simsamala, Jaji Banda, Mizeck Masula, Eliya Kadula, Ernest Soko, Chaponda Chizwa, Mai Kanyemba and Dzeke Dzeke.

However, the High Court has now restrained the group from suspending Chimwendo Banda or interfering with his duties as secretary general.

Justice William Yakuwawa Msiska granted the injunction on Wednesday after MCP, through its legal director George Kadzipatike, challenged the group’s authority to take disciplinary action against an elected member of the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC).

MCP argued that the group had no powers under the party’s Constitution to suspend the secretary general.

The court order also bars the 10 defendants, their agents or anyone acting on their behalf from disrupting activities at MCP headquarters.

They have further been prohibited from exercising disciplinary powers to remove, suspend or dismiss members of the NEC.

The order also prevents the group from interfering with the constitutional duties of NEC members, including the secretary general.

It further bars them from closing, locking or barricading MCP premises and from exercising powers reserved for the NEC or the party’s Convention.