The state is considering prosecuting a theatre group because of its performances of a play referring to the murder of four politicians during the regime of former dictator Kamuzu Banda. An Associated Press (AP) report carried in the 17 March 1995 edition of the South African “Weekly Mail and Guardian” newspaper says that Malawi’s Chief […]
The state is considering prosecuting a theatre group because of
its performances of a play referring to the murder of four
politicians during the regime of former dictator Kamuzu Banda.
An Associated Press (AP) report carried in the 17 March 1995
edition of the South African “Weekly Mail and Guardian” newspaper
says that Malawi’s Chief State Prosecutor, Kamudoni Nyasulu, was
considering prosecuting the Kwathu Drama Group on the grounds
that their play “Adaferanji” (“Why Did They Die?”) could
prejudice forthcoming murder trials. Banda, his close associate
John Tembo, and four police officers have each been charged with
the murder of, and conspiracy to murder four politicians – Aaron
Gadama, Dick Matenje, Twaibu Sangala and David Chiwanga – in May
1983.
According to the AP report, “Adaferanji” contains dialogue based
around a report on the murders by a government-appointed judicial
commission of inquiry, which in January found that the four
politicians were killed by police acting on official orders.
Banda has been under house arrest, while Tembo and the police
officers have been in detention since the commission made its
findings.
What are known as the Mwanza Murders received widespread media
coverage over the past two years, as did the commission’s
findings. Information Minister Brown Mpinganjira said in January
that the four murdered politicians were apparently killed for
opposing Tembo’s appointment as acting president while Banda was
out of the country. However, the AP report continues, Nyasulu
believes the Kwathu Drama Group’s play could prejudice the trial
of Banda, Tembo and the four police officers, which is due to
start on April 24. “It is one thing to publish a report and a
different thing to perform it,” Nyasulu told Malawi’s “Daily
Times” newspaper. “If the evidence in court ends up being
different from what people see on stage, people will think
there’s a distortion of the facts,” he added.
Recommended Action
Write to the Chief State Prosecutor, Kamudoni Nyasulu:
prejudicial to the trial of Banda, Tembo and the police officers
when circumstances surrounding the case – the findings of the
judicial inquiry in particular – have already received so much
media coverage
Appeals To
Kamudoni Nyasulu
Chief State Prosecutor
C/O Ministry of Justice
Private Bag 333
Capital City
Lilongwe 3, Malawi
Fax: +265 782176
Copies to:
David Lush
Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA)
Private Bag 13386
Windhoek, Namibia
Tel: +264 61 232975, Fax: 248016
e-mail: dlush@ingrid.misa.org.na
