Nkhotakota Prison
A total of 42 inmates from Maula and Nkhotakota prisons have been released following recent Camp Court sessions aimed at enhancing access to justice and addressing prison overcrowding.
The releases came through a combination of sentence reductions, aligning time served with the offence, and the quashing of certain convictions that were inappropriate or excessive.
Presiding over both sessions, High Court Judge Justice Mzonde Mvula emphasized that some offences were too minor to justify alternative sentences, particularly in already overcrowded facilities.
At Maula Prison, inmates were represented by Principal Legal Aid Advocate Ruth Harawa and Senior Legal Aid Advocates Chanju Kondowe and Bridget Uledi. Representation at Nkhotakota Prison was led by Principal Legal Aid Advocate Kisa Namagonya and Senior Legal Aid Advocate Mphatso Mmangitsa, assisted by Assistant Legal Aid Officer Dumisani Ziba and legal intern Hopeson Mtekama.
One of the inmates released at Maula, 19-year-old Ndaona Banda, had been serving a 30-month sentence for unlawful wounding. His arrest followed an incident where he attempted to intervene in a fight between two friends, one of whom was armed with a knife.
In trying to break up the fight, Ndaona pushed the armed friend, who then fell and was accidentally cut by his own knife. The other individual fled, and Ndaona was arrested by community police and charged with unlawful wounding.
The Court quashed Ndaona’s conviction, agreeing with the Legal Aid Bureau’s argument that he had no intent to cause harm, had acted non-violently, was only 18 at the time of the incident, and had pleaded guilty.
In Nkhotakota, Bernard Banda was among the 28 inmates released. His arrest stemmed from a domestic incident in which, after a night of drinking, he returned home and insulted his sister. His father reported the matter to police, leading to his arrest and charge for using insulting language under Section 182 of the Penal Code.
Camp Courts are part of a broader initiative to decongest prisons and ensure inmates who are unable to travel to formal courts still have access to justice. In addition to those released, some inmates were granted bail, while rulings in other cases have been reserved for a later date.
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