Chidanti Malunga to appear in court on Friday: Speaker denies call to suspend Parliament deliberations

Speaker of the National Assembly Richard Msowoya has turn down the call by some Members of Parliament to suspend deliberations tomorrow Friday in solidarity with Chairperson for Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture Joseph Chidanti Malunga who is due to appear in court.

Transglobe Produce Export Limited earlier this week dragged Chidanti Malunga to court after he threatened to stop the grain dealer from operating in the country over the company’s injunction stopping the implementation of this year’s Farm Input Subsidy Programme (FISP).

Deliberations were suspended Tuesday morning for an hour after lawmakers threatened not to proceed with the day’s business until the case against Chidanti Malunga is dropped from the contempt charges.

Standing on point of order on Thursday morning, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) MP Vitus Dzoole Mwale asked the Speaker to consider suspending the discussions tomorrow to allow MPs to attend the court hearing of Chidanti’s case.

Responding to the call, Msowoya said it is un-procedural to suspend deliberations over Chidanti’s case.

He then said MPs are free to attend the case but business will continue tomorrow.