Former President of Malawi Arthur Peter Mutharika could be headed for a lengthy probe as the country’s Ombudsman launches investigations into sources of money that the ex leader used to build a swanky retirement home.

Malawi leaders have always been implicated in large scale scandals ranging from embezzlement of public funds, abuse of office, nepotism and wild deals.

Malawi’s Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) in August froze the personal bank accounts of Mutharika and his wife, Gertrude, in a probe seeking to uncover his role in a 5-billion kwacha ($6.6 million) cement scandal.

In 2014, Mutahrika’s predecessor Joyce Banda fled the country after being implicated in the so-called Cashgate scandal, in which government officials siphoned off millions of dollars of public money.

She returned to the southern African country from her self-imposed exile in 2018.

The Anti-Corruption Bureau has since said it has no solid evidence against the former president, partially clearing her name.

The South African Constitutional court is expecting former President Jacob Zuma to appear in person for punishment or be punished in absentia.

On Friday the court sent out a notice to Zuma and his legal team to file the papers by Wednesday and guide it on how to penalise him.

“The first respondent (Zuma) must file an affidavit not longer than 15 pages on or before Wednesday, April 14, on the following issues: In the event that the first respondent is found guilty of the alleged contempt of court, what constitutes the appropriate sanctions, and in the event this courts deems committal appropriate, the nature and the magnitude of the sentence that should be imposed, supported by reasons,” reads part of the Concourt instruction to Zuma.

With a few hours left before the deadline given to him to tell the Constitutional Court what sentence he feels should be meted out for defying it, former president Zuma has kept everybody guessing on whether he will meet the deadline or continue with his non-participation stance.

Court added that should Zuma elect to exercise his right to mitigate before he is sentenced for defying a lawful instruction to appear before the Zondo Commission to testify in December and January, then all parties involved in the matter should file their counter affidavits as well.

Editors note: The Zondo Inquiry wants the Constitutional Court to find that former President Jacob Zuma is in contempt of court, for defying an order to testify under oath there. The commission wants him jailed for two years.

South Africa’s Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, also known as the Zondo Commission of Inquiry or Zondo Commission, is a public inquiry launched by the government of Jacob Zuma, in January 2018, to “investigate allegations of state capture, corruption, fraud and other allegations in the public sector including organs of state.

The Gasabo intermediate court has fined King Faisal Hospital and Kanombe Military hospital for cutting off the breast of a patient after mistakenly diagnosing her with a level 2 cancer.

The two national referral hospitals must pay the patient Rwf100 million (over US$100,000) with immediate effect for what the court described as “medical negligence”.

The verdict was delivered on Friday April 9, 2021 after an almost two-year legal battle.

The Military Hospital executed the operation following a medical report from King Faisal Hospital.

In the court, the Military Hospital denied liability claiming the report from King Faisal Hospital was categorical that the patient had a level 2 breast cancer and that what doctors at the Military Hospital had to do was to cut it off.

King Faisal Hospital defended itself saying it had all the necessary equipment to conduct an operation and there is no reason why it would have referred the patient to another hospital.

Apparently, the two hospitals share doctors, some medical services and joint operations. The court ruled that both hospitals were medically negligent and they had to be fined.  

The patient, a resident of Kayonza District, had sued for Rwf305 million (US$300,000). The Military hospital will pay Rwf62 million and King Faisal Hospital will pay Rwf42 million. The remaining will cater for legal fees and court fees.

It is reported that the doctor who diagnosed the patient with cancer, Dr. Lynette Kyokunda, moved to Zambia where she continued with her medical career.