Police and prison officers clashed on Friday in several prisons across the country as the police attempted to disperse the prison warders who were striking.
Clashes occurred at Zomba, Mzuzu and Chichiri prisons.
At Mzuzu Prison, the law enforcers forced their way into the prison as they had been instructed to take over security at the facility.
They clashed with prison warders and gunshots were heard. The law enforcers, however, managed to take over and guarded the premises.
In Zomba, Malawi Army soldier managed to take over security at the prison after beating up the prison warders.
At Chichiri, police officers arrived and fired teargas at the prison workers who had closed the road leading to the facility.
The prison wardens fought back and the police were forced to leave the facility.
“We receive about 10 to 15 new prisoners every day but they are not even quarantined, we only check their temperature,” Mzuzu Prison spokesperson Macbirth Wasambo told the local media.
One of the warders said junior officers in prison have not been promoted for years while their colleagues at Malawi Defence Force, Malawi Police Service are promoted every year
“I have worked on the same position for 34 years now and what explanation could be given for such stagnation. What we need now are promotions and not dialogues,” he said.
