Malawi Police and Prison Officers Urged to Abandon Torture Tactics in Interrogations
Malawi’s human rights watchdog has issued a damning condemnation of law enforcement officers over the continued torture of inmates, revealing disturbing evidence of brutality within the country’s prison system.
The Malawi Human Rights Commission (MHRC) didn’t hold back in its criticism, with Commissioner Teresa Ndanga singling out one facility in particular as a hotbed of abuse during a specialist training session held for police and prison officers today.
“We observed the issue of torture was reigning high among officers, for example at Mikuyu prison in Zomba it was noticeable,” Ndanga revealed, shining an uncomfortable spotlight on the notorious facility.
The training, aimed at stamping out abusive practices once and for all, exposed the alarming extent to which torture remains embedded within Malawi’s law enforcement culture, with officers reportedly still relying on both physical and psychological abuse to extract information or confessions from suspects and convicts alike.
Head of Prosecution at the Malawi Police Service, Prescort Zuze Mwayiulipo, admitted that a fundamental overhaul in approach is now desperately needed, calling on investigators to abandon outdated and brutal interrogation methods in favour of modern techniques that don’t rely on inflicting pain or fear.
Mwayiulipo stressed that officers must adapt to new suspect interview methods that steer clear of torture entirely, signalling growing recognition within the force itself that current practices are simply no longer acceptable.
The training heard harrowing accounts of the various forms torture has taken within Malawi’s justice system, ranging from outright physical violence to more insidious forms of psychological abuse designed to break down suspects during questioning.
The revelations will likely reignite long-standing concerns over conditions within Malawi’s prisons and police holding cells, with human rights campaigners for years warning that torture and mistreatment remain a persistent, if often hidden, feature of the country’s criminal justice system.
Officials now face mounting pressure to ensure today’s training translates into genuine, lasting change on the ground, rather than becoming yet another well-intentioned initiative that fails to shift deeply entrenched practices within police stations and prisons nationwide.
For campaigners, the admission that torture remains “reigning high” among officers serves as a stark reminder that Malawi’s fight to eliminate abusive practices within its justice system is far from over — and that meaningful accountability, not just training sessions, will ultimately be needed to protect the rights and dignity of those in custody.
By Nyasa Times.
