Some Members of Parliament (MPs) from Mzimba District have pledged to provide legal representation to renowned journalist Ephraim Mkali Banda of Malawi24, who is facing a lawsuit filed by two employees of M’mbelwa District Council following an investigative report he published earlier this month.
Banda is being sued by Lucy Kankuwe, a Physical Planning Technician, and Duncan Chaponda, a Lands Clerk, who allege that the article contained false information that damaged their reputations.
On 21 January 2026, Banda published an article titled “Land, Power, and Abuse: Inside Allegations of Corruption in M’mbelwa District Council,” in which he named three council officers including Kankuwe and Chaponda as being at the centre of alleged dubious land-selling practices in the district.
Following the lawsuit, Mzimba Perekezi MP Fikani Ulunji Nyirenda, Mzimba Perekezi MP Fisher Nkhwazi and Mzimba Solola MP Rightwell Mahowe convened a meeting during which they publicly expressed solidarity with the journalist, assuring him of legal support and encouraging him not to be intimidated by the court action.
The MPs stated that allegations of corruption in land administration at M’mbelwa District Council have circulated for a long time and emphasized that investigative journalism plays a critical role in exposing wrongdoing that hinders development in the district.
“Issues surrounding land have been discussed for a long time, with reports suggesting that some officers at M’mbelwa District Council have been abusing their positions by selling land to foreign nationals. We are encouraged that we have a journalist willing to expose such wrongdoing. We are committed to providing legal representation to our journalist,” the MPs said.
Nyirenda, Nkhwazi and Mahowe stressed that the lawsuit should not discourage journalists from carrying out their watchdog role, particularly on matters of public interest such as land management and governance.
They further called on public officers to uphold transparency and accountability, noting that attempts to silence journalists through legal action undermine democratic values and development efforts.
For his part, Ephraim Mkali Banda thanked the MPs for their support and reaffirmed his commitment to continuing to publish stories that promote good governance and accountability in the district.
The case has sparked debate among civil society organizations and media practitioners, with increasing calls for the protection of press freedom and responsible investigative journalism in Malawi.
