Zomba judiciary, police complain of NGOs pressurizing them to prosecute unqualified cases

By Thandizo Chadzandiani, MANA

Judiciary and Police in Zomba have expressed concern over pressure which Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) are placing on them when dealing with cases involving children and women cases.

Senior Resident Magistrate, Rhodrick Michongwe and Zomba Police Officer-In-Charge, Deputy Commissioner Happy Mkandawire expressed their concern during a meeting at Zomba Police College on Wednesday when the judiciary, the Police and Station Executive Committee of the community policing held a review meeting on status of crime in Zomba.

He said the judiciary receives pressure from the civil rights groups in the district to speed up prosecution of suspects to satisfy their programmes at the expense of prosecution and judicial procedures which have to be followed.

“Most organisations do not understand steps the police follow when prosecuting a person and as such the organisations pressurize the police to follow their wishes, forgetting that every department has its own procedures,” Michongwe said.

While Deputy Commission Mkandawire said the police are accused of delaying to deal with cases once they arrest a suspect on issues to do with children and women.

“Sometimes the police is given inadequate information to start investigation and mostly pressure from organisations affects judicial procedures,” he said.

The Officer-In-Charge said his office would work together with the CSOs to deal with crime and all forms of abuses against children and women. 

Chairperson for Station Executive Committee in Zomba, Dan Phiri called for good relationship among the law enforcers, the community and civil society organisations in Zomba to ensure that the district is free from crimes and any other form of gender based violence.

He appealed to people in the district to make use of community based crime prevention structures such as community policing forum in preventing and responding to crimes.