In a twist of events, Humble CS Bondo, the former University of Malawi Students’ Representative Council (SRC) president, has cancelled his planned vigil at the Judiciary headquarters in Blantyre.
According to Bondo, the vigil—initially set for April 9, 2025—was in response to delays by the Judiciary in passing judgment on his case.
Speaking in an interview with Malawi24 on Tuesday, Bondo said he had cancelled the demonstrations styled as Judgil after receiving the judgment through his lawyer.
“Yes, it is true that I have received the judgment on my case. However, I must express my dissatisfaction with the outcome, as I firmly believe I had exhausted all available avenues for justice within the university hierarchy. Initially, the Vice Chancellor’s decision effectively blocked my opportunity to appeal, which compelled me to seek legal redress. That said, the court has now directed me to pursue an appeal through the same authority whose impartiality I have previously questioned. Nevertheless, I will comply with the directive, as I remain committed to due process and the pursuit of justice,” he said.
In an eight-page judgment dated April 2, 2025, Justice Zione Ntaba dismissed the case and ordered the complainant (Bondo) to exhaust all internal remedies available within the University of Malawi before seeking judicial review.
“The court, therefore, having reviewed the application, finds that granting permission for judicial review at this stage—where not all remedies provided under the University of Malawi have been exhausted—would be premature,” reads an excerpt from the judgment.
Justice Ntaba has since directed the respondent (University of Malawi) to ensure that the appeal is carried out within 30 days of the order while addressing the defects raised in the initial appeal.
Furthermore, Justice Ntaba has ordered the university to maintain and safeguard measures to prevent re-victimization of the claimant. If the claimant remains dissatisfied with the appeal process, the case shall be heard before a different judge.
In June 2024, the University of Malawi’s disciplinary committee handed Bondo a three-year academic suspension on grounds of sexual harassment.
The final-year student, who was on the verge of completing his Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration, later dragged the university to court, citing irregularities, bias, and favouritism in the disciplinary process.
