Member of Parliament for Zomba Malosa, Grace Kwelepeta, has announced her intention to seek legal assistance and sue the Malawi Parliament for its continued delay in fixing her official vehicle, which was vandalized by unknown individuals on 26th February 2025 at the Parliament Building.
The incident occurred shortly after President Lazarus Chakwera appeared before Parliament to respond to questions from legislators following his delivery of the 51st State of the Nation Address (SONA) on 14th February 2025.
Kwelepeta suspects that the perpetrators behind the attack may have been supporters of the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
Speaking on the matter, she said: “Right now, I am moving to court because I have already given them time for arbitration. I heard that Parliament wrote a letter a long time ago, but it has stalled in some offices. I believe I have done my part, and now it’s time for the courts to handle the matter.”
She explained that Parliament had initially agreed to purchase new tyres for her vehicle, which she accepted. However, she also requested that additional damage be repaired — a request that remains unfulfilled to date.
Kwelepeta further expressed frustration, stating that Parliament has reportedly blocked police from investigating the incident, resulting in no arrests thus far.
She revealed that the full quotation for repairing the vehicle, including all damaged parts, amounts to over K20 million.
Kwelepeta confirmed that she has already engaged her lawyer to pursue legal action and hold Parliament accountable for what she described as negligence and lack of transparency.
Efforts to get a comment from Parliament’s Public Relations Officer, Ian Mwenye, proved futile as his phone was unavailable at the time of reporting.
The same attack also affected Zomba Chingale legislator, Lonie Chijere Chirwa, whose vehicle had its tyres damaged. In contrast, Kwelepeta’s car suffered extensive damage, including smashed tyres, broken lenses, and shattered mirrors. Despite the clear impact on both MPs, neither has received assistance from Parliament.
The 51st session of Parliament officially concluded on Friday, marking the final sitting ahead of the 2025 general elections. This development has further prompted Kwelepeta to escalate the matter to the courts.
By Dean Chisambo
