BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The Ministry of Homeland Security announced on January 1, 2026, that President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has granted pardon to 222 prisoners as part of the 2025 Christmas and New Year festive season amnesty.
The release was authorized under Section 89(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi, which empowers the President to exercise clemency.
In the official statement issued from Capital Hill, Lilongwe, the Ministry said the amnesty targets qualified prisoners who have served half of their sentences.
The beneficiaries include convicted prisoners, the elderly, female inmates, and those who are chronically ill.
The move is intended to provide relief during the festive season and reflects the government’s humanitarian approach to justice.
President Mutharika’s decision aligns with traditional holiday practices in Malawi, where seasonal pardons are used to decongest prisons and offer second chances to eligible inmates.
The general amnesty is also seen as a gesture of compassion toward vulnerable groups within the correctional system, such as the elderly and sick, who may face heightened health risks in prison environments.
The Ministry emphasized that the presidential pardon is part of ongoing efforts to balance justice with mercy, encouraging rehabilitation and social reintegration of former offenders. While the release reduces prison populations temporarily, authorities have assured that public safety will be maintained by focusing on prisoners who have demonstrated good behavior and met legal criteria for early release.
This year’s amnesty follows similar festive pardons in previous years, which have been praised for promoting national unity and humanitarian values during holiday celebrations.
The government hopes the gesture will inspire community support for reintegrating released individuals into society, reducing recidivism through rehabilitation programs.
The announcement has been welcomed by human rights groups and civil society organizations in Malawi, who view the amnesty as a positive step toward prison reform and humane treatment of inmates.
However, some legal experts have called for broader systemic reforms to address overcrowding and conditions in Malawi’s correctional facilities beyond seasonal measures.
The presidential amnesty will be implemented immediately, with the Ministry of Homeland Security coordinating the release process to ensure smooth transitions for the affected prisoners.
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ACCRA-(MaraviPost)-Ghanaian police have arrested a man identified as Evans Eshun, also known as Ebo Noah, for allegedly spreading fear among the public with his apocalyptic prophecies.
The self-proclaimed prophet had been claiming that the world would come to an end on Christmas Day 2025, sparking widespread panic.
Eshun had been telling people that massive floods would occur on that day, killing anyone who refused to board one of his eight prepared ark-like vessels.
Prophet Ebo Noah arrested
However, as the predicted date passed without incident, it became clear that his prophecies were baseless.
The police say such false prophets cause unnecessary distress and confusion among the public.
Eshun’s actions had caused significant alarm, with many people likely affected by his claims.
The authorities are taking steps to address the issue, emphasizing the harm caused by spreading unfounded prophecies.
The incident highlights the need for critical thinking and verification of information, especially when it comes to sensational claims.
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Homeless albino family In Malawi after being hunted
BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-The recent flurry of social media reports claiming a seven-year-old child with albinism was abducted in Mulanje has been exposed as a baseless fabrication, courtesy of Mulanje Police’s unequivocal denial.
The police, through their public relations officer Innocent Moses, have confirmed no such case was reported or recorded, and no arrests were made in connection to a missing child – contrary to earlier claims.
This episode is more than just a case of misinformation; it’s a glaring example of MCP sympathizers wading into the murky waters of propaganda to discredit the DPP-led government. Investigations reveal a calculated effort to sow panic and undermine the government’s credibility.
But DPP isn’t biting. Government spokesperson Shadrick Namalomba’s response is a masterclass in composure: “The DPP won’t be stopped or shaken by the propaganda… it’s busy implementing its agenda and serving Malawians.” The message is clear – DPP’s focus remains on governance, undeterred by MCP’s dirty tricks.
This isn’t just about one false report; it’s about the broader narrative. MCP’s desperation is palpable, and their tactics are getting more brazen. But the people see through it.
The DPP’s achievements – free secondary education, affordable fertilizer, and cement prices – speak louder than MCP’s propaganda.
The real story here is MCP’s war on truth. They’re peddling panic, but the DPP’s commitment to serving Malawi remains unshaken. As Namalomba said, the government won’t be deterred.
The people deserve better than MCP’s deceit; they deserve the progress DPP is delivering.
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LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-A high-level government delegation, led by Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, Mary Navicha, has visited Kachere Prison to assess the dire living conditions of female inmates.
The prison is currently holding 162 women, double its official capacity of 80, highlighting severe overcrowding that compromises inmate welfare, safety, and dignity.
The delegation, which included Minister of Justice Charles Mhango, Deputy Minister of Homeland Security Norman Paulosi Chisale, and the Attorney General, engaged with prison authorities and stakeholders to address the challenges faced by the facility.
They emphasized the need for urgent and coordinated interventions to decongest the prison, improve inmate welfare, and ensure safety in line with national laws and human rights standards.
The visit comes amid reports of inhumane treatment, inadequate food, and poor living conditions for women inmates.
Inmates have shared harrowing accounts of struggling to access basic necessities like water, with one tap serving 30 women, leading to fights and tensions among prisoners.
Minister Navicha, a vocal advocate for women’s rights, has been working to promote gender equality and empower women in Malawi.
Her visit to Kachere Prison underscores the government’s commitment to addressing the plight of female inmates and ensuring their rights are protected.
The government delegation’s visit is expected to catalyze reforms aimed at improving prison conditions and addressing the systemic issues contributing to overcrowding.
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Why are we still failing on gender equality despite years of promise
SHOBHA SHUKLA – CNS
As 2025 wraps up, let us remind ourselves of the prominent promises (and some legally binding ones) which our governments have made since 1945 to advance progress on gender equality and human rights. The Preamble of the United Nations Charter adopted by all governments in 1945 begins with the three words: “We the peoples…” and not “We the men…” Equal rights of men and women are further reaffirmed in the UN Charter Preamble 1945.
Shortly after 1945, gender equality was also enshrined in Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948. Gender equality became the core driver of legally binding UN Treaty (formally called as UN Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women or CEDAW 1979). CEDAW also promised to address gender-based violence, reminded Dr Pam Rajput, a noted feminist and gender justice leader and former Chairperson of Government of India’s High-Level Committee on the Status of Women. Then, at the UN General Assembly 1993, World Leaders passed a resolution to eliminate gender-based violence.
In 1994, International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and its Programme for Action also stressed on ending gender-based violence as a matter of human rights.
In 1995, UN World Conference on Women in Beijing and its landmark Beijing Declaration 1995 and Platform for Action committed governments to address violence against women too.
UN Sustainable Development Goals adopted by all world leaders in 2015 promise to achieve gender equality “where no one is left behind” by 2030. But are we on track? or are we struggling to deliver on the goals – or sliding back?
And a very long-list of declarations, agreements, and promises are chronicling the struggle for gender equality in last century.
Let us not forget centuries of feminist struggles
Let us remember – unsung heroes – our feminist leaders in communities, regions and globally that have strived so hard and so passionately and fiercely to counter harmful gender norms, stereotypes and narratives – and advance gender equality despite and inspite of anti-rights pushbacks. Salutes to them. We owe it to feminist leaders over decades and centuries.
What is holding us back from keeping the promise?
Despite considerable and at times, historic, progress on gender equality, progress is miles away from being acceptable. Rather in recent times, anti-rights and anti-gender pushbacks have not only threatened the fragile gains made on gender equality but also undoing the good that had happened after quite a fierce community-led feminist struggle.
For example, should not we all be asking that why is there almost no change in violence against women and girls since 2000? In last 26 years – since the year 2000 onwards, annual decline in intimate partner and sexual violence is abysmally low at 0.2%. This is so very unacceptable, says Shobha Shukla, SHE & Rights (Sexual Health with Equity & Rights) Coordinator and Host. “If we are to walk the talk on ending sexual and all other forms of gender-based violence, we have to translate words into stronger actions – dismantle patriarchy, and rethink, and rebuild feminist health and development systems.”
It is high time for accountability
“Despite so many agreements and declarations to end violence against women and girls, the question remains – why the rates have not declined. Violence against women and girls is a violation of human rights, rooted in gender inequality and an impediment to sustainable development,” said Dr Pam Rajput. She was the opening keynote speaker at SHE & Rights session this month, co-hosted by Global Center for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion (CeHDI), Women Deliver Conference 2026, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Asian-Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW), Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR), Asia Pacific Media Alliance for Health, Gender and Development Justice (APCAT Media) and CNS. “Despite all the efforts over decades to end gender-based violence, the painful reality or truth is that we are far behind from the goal of ending all forms of violence against women and girls.”
“Over 840 million women have faced violence globally. Number of women who faced violence in conflict settings is double. In the past 12 months, 316 million women have faced physical violence or sexual abuse by the intimate partner and 263 million women have faced it by non-intimate partner. Over 51,000 cases of femicide have been reported,” added Dr Rajput, who also serves now as Emeritus Professor, Panjab University.
Even women Parliamentarians are not free of violence, says Dr Rajput. 73% of women journalists reported facing online violence, and 20% of them have even suffered offline attack by anti-gender groups.
Earlier this year, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association published a study that revealed 60% of women MPs from Asia-Pacific reported online gender-based violence. Main findings included:
– 60% of women Parliamentarians surveyed have been targeted by hate speech, disinformation, image-based abuse or unwanted disclosure of personal data (doxing) online. This is the highest rate for this type of abuse (compared to other IPU regional studies).
– 76% of women Parliamentarians and 63% of parliamentary staff have experienced psychological violence.
– Sexual violence is also prevalent, with 25% of women Parliamentarians and 36% of parliamentary staff reporting such incidents.
– Economic violence or damage to women’s belongings has affected 24% of women Parliamentarians and 27% of parliamentary staff, while physical violence was reported by 13% and 5% respectively.
– Certain groups – women under 40, women from minority backgrounds and unmarried women – face disproportionately higher rates of violence. Opposition women MPs also report higher rates of psychological and sexual violence.
High time to dismantle barriers that fail us on gender justice
“We need to address structural inequalities, patriarchal norms, ‘normalisation’ of gender-based violence, consumerist neoliberal models of development, gender insensitivity of the enforcement agencies (such as police or judiciary), and under-investment in gender equality, if we are to address violence against women and girls,” said Dr Rajput.
“The agreed conclusions of UN Commission on the Status of Women every year and its Political Declarations every four years must get fully implemented by the countries. Promises made at the global level must translate into local realities,” she stressed.
“How can we talk about sustainable development where no one is left behind, when millions of women and girls are not free of economic violence, social violence, sexual violence and other forms of gender-based violence?” said Dr Pam Rajput.
“We demand zero tolerance for violence against women and girls, both in policy and practice. Violence against women and girls is not something where governments can get away by saying ‘oh it is inevitable,’ because it is NOT inevitable” she emphasised. “Alongside global campaigns to end violence, we also need local campaigns to end violence against women and girls. We need accountability from global to local and local to global for a safe healthy environment for each human being on this Earth.”
Gender-based violence also fails us on HIV
“Gender-based violence not only violates human rights of women and girls but also exposes them to risk of acquiring HIV and other infections. Gender-based violence and HIV creates a nexus or a cycle of violence, stigma and discrimination. Unequal power and harmful gender norms further ups the risks and vulnerabilities for women and girls for suffering violence as well as HIV,” said Esther Asuquo, gender and peace advocate of African Girls Empowerment Network, Nigeria.
“Gender-based violence increases risk for women and girls of forced sex, physical trauma, sexual violence, including intimate partner violence, rape and physical trauma. Gender-based violence also increases the inability to negotiate safer sex among young women and girls,” added Esther while addressing SHE & Rights session.
Why is ending period poverty elusive?
Period poverty is the lack of access to menstrual products, sanitation facilities, and hygiene education, forcing people to use inadequate substitutes (rags, leaves) or miss school/work, impacting health, dignity, and education due to stigma and cost. It affects millions globally, including in developed nations, leading to missed classes, poor health, and hindering women’s rights and economic independence.
“Ending period poverty and stigma is important if adolescent girls and young women need to live a dignified life with rights. Period poverty and stigma are affecting so many girls across Africa. Many of them are lacking safe absorbent materials – essential for menstrual hygiene, and are thus forced to use unsafe absorbent materials, for example soil, sand and in extreme cases cow dung. These absorbent materials end up increasing their susceptibility to reproductive tract infections. Sometimes they are forced to go for transactional sex which increases the risk of sexual violence which increases their risk of HIV, teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections (STIs),” said Angel Babirye, Emerging Women Deliver leader from Uganda and President of the African Youth and Adolescent Network East and Southern Africa (AfriYAN ESA).
“Menstruation is largely shrouded in myths and misconceptions. We must normalise conversations around menstruation because it is normal. Girls need to have safe spaces to speak up about menstruation, and also need to have access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene too. Girls and women must have safe and private facilities to change absorbent materials as and when required as well as spaces to dispose off the used absorbent materials,” she added. “In Uganda, 1 in 4 girls drops out of school once they begin menstruating. Absenteeism triples during their periods. Let us address menstrual hygiene, period poverty and stigma in a comprehensive way so that girls can have safe and dignified lives.”
Would 2026 see ending anti-rights pushbacks and full force progress on gender equality and human rights?
Let us hope that 2026 dawns on all of us why gender inequality is in nexus (by design) with patriarchy, capitalism, fundamentalism, militarisation, debt, and shaky progress against a lot of SDG goals and targets – and sparks united action to deliver on SDG-5, SDG-3 and all other goals, targets and promises made by our governments for a better tomorrow.
The only possible socially just and ecologically sustainable world order is a feminist world order where health, gender, social, economic, climate and redistributive justices along with accountability to peoples take centre-stage. That is the rainbow highway to SDGs, so do we believe. #RethinkRebuildRise should be our mantra.
Shobha Shukla – CNS (Citizen News Service)
(Shobha Shukla is a feminist, health and development justice advocate, and an award-winning founding Managing Editor and Executive Director of CNS (Citizen News Service). She was also the Lead Discussant for SDG-3 at United Nations inter-governmental High Level Political Forum (HLPF 2025). She is a former senior Physics faculty of prestigious Loreto Convent College; current President of Asia Pacific Regional Media Alliance for Health, Gender and Development Justice (APCAT Media); Chairperson of Global AMR Media Alliance (GAMA received the inter-ministerial AMR One Health Emerging Leaders and Outstanding Talents Award 2024); and Host of SHE & Rights (Sexual Health with Equity & Rights). Follow her on Twitter/X @shobha1shukla or read her writings here www.bit.ly/ShobhaShukla)
– Shared under Creative Commons (CC)
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In the vast realm of legal luminaries, few shine as brilliantly as Dr. Gift Dorothy Makanje. Her journey is nothing short of extraordinary—a tapestry woven with threads of relentless dedication, intellectual brilliance, and unwavering commitment to justice. From her early academic pursuits to her current status as a distinguished legal scholar and practitioner, Dr. Makanje’s story is a beacon of inspiration for aspiring lawyers and academics alike.
The foundation of her illustrious career was laid at the University of Malawi, where she earned her Law degree in 2009. This was not just a graduation; it was the birth of a formidable force destined to reshape Malawi’s legal landscape.
Her zeal for the law was evident early on, and her trajectory was marked by a series of impressive milestones that showcased her deep understanding and passion for justice.
Her tenure in the Malawi Judiciary is a testament to her versatility and profound legal insight.
Serving in pivotal roles such as Senior Resident Magistrate and Assistant Registrar at the High Court, Dr. Makanje demonstrated an unyielding commitment to upholding the rule of law. Her judicial acumen was matched by her ability to navigate complex legal challenges with grace and precision.
These roles allowed her to impact the judiciary from within, ensuring that justice was not just a concept but a living, breathing reality for those who sought it.
But Dr. Makanje’s journey did not stop at the courtroom doors. Recognizing the importance of continuous growth and specialization, she pursued a Master’s degree in Law, focusing on Criminal Justice and Human Rights at the University of Aberdeen. Graduating with distinction in 2015, she not only expanded her academic horizons but also deepened her understanding of the nuanced interplay between law and human dignity.
This achievement highlighted her as a scholar who is not content with resting on her laurels but is driven by an insatiable thirst for knowledge and excellence.
Her academic prowess seamlessly transitioned into a meaningful career in education. As a lecturer at the University of Malawi, Dr. Makanje has been a guiding light for countless students, imparting wisdom, fostering critical thinking, and nurturing the next generation of legal minds.
Her role as Head of the Foundation Law Department further speaks volumes about her leadership capabilities and her dedication to shaping a robust legal education system. She is not just an educator but a mentor and a role model, inspiring students to pursue justice with integrity and courage.
The crowning jewel of her academic journey came with the completion of her PhD in Law from the prestigious Durham University.
This monumental achievement is not merely a personal triumph but a testament to her resilience, intellectual capacity, and unwavering dedication to the legal profession.
Her doctoral research, characterized by depth, originality, and relevance, adds a significant voice to contemporary legal discourse, particularly in areas that resonate deeply with Malawi and the broader African context.
Dr. Makanje’s story is one of breaking barriers and setting new standards. In a field that demands both sharp intellect and compassionate understanding, she embodies the perfect blend of these qualities.
Her work transcends the boundaries of academia and judiciary, touching lives and influencing policies that uphold justice and human rights.
Beyond her professional achievements, Dr. Makanje’s character shines brightly. Colleagues and students alike speak of her warmth, humility, and unwavering integrity.
She approaches challenges with a calm confidence and tackles adversity with a smile, inspiring those around her to strive for greatness while remaining grounded in empathy and respect.
Her journey is also a powerful narrative of empowerment, especially for women in law—a domain historically dominated by men. Dr. Makanje stands tall as a role model, proving that with passion, perseverance, and dedication, the glass ceiling is not just cracked but shattered.
She invites every young woman with a dream to dare boldly, to pursue excellence relentlessly, and to make a difference fearlessly.
As we celebrate Dr. Gift Dorothy Makanje’s remarkable achievements, we are reminded that true success is measured not only by titles and degrees but by the positive impact one leaves on society.
Her legacy is one of hope, progress, and justice. She has not only mastered the law; she has used it as a powerful tool to uplift, protect, and empower.
The legal fraternity and the academic community await with great anticipation the next chapters in Dr. Makanje’s journey. Her story is far from over; in fact, it is only just beginning to unfold in even more impactful ways.
With her intellect, passion, and heart, there is no doubt that she will continue to illuminate the path toward a just and equitable society.
In celebrating Dr. Gift Dorothy Makanje, we celebrate the triumph of dedication over adversity, the power of education, and the enduring spirit of a woman who has dared to dream and dared to do.
Here’s to a future filled with even greater achievements, groundbreaking contributions, and the continued pursuit of justice that defines her extraordinary life.
Feedback:0992082424 jonesgadama@gmail.com
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