Private practice lawyer and human rights activist Alexious Kamangila has accused the court process in his defamation case of depriving him of an opportunity to fully understand and challenge a decision that struck out his defence.
In a letter dated May 27, 2026 addressed to High Court Judge Howard Pemba, Kamangila requested copies of the court record and, as a matter of urgency, the ex parte application that resulted in the striking out of his defence in a case brought by High Court Judge Kenan Manda.
Kamangila argued that he has only been served with the court order and not the application that formed the basis of the decision.
“The Judge, has only served me the Order, depriving me the opportunity to appreciate the basis of the Court’s decision, which essentially incapacitates me from seeking remedy from the Court,” he wrote.
He said obtaining a copy of the ex parte application to strike out his defence and enter judgment for the claimant was a matter of “ultimate urgency.”
Kamangila, who is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of Galway in Ireland, also asked the court to provide him with both digital and physical copies of the entire case file, claiming that records previously held by his former lawyers are no longer available to him following their withdrawal from the matter following some threats.
“Your Office may also take judicial notice that Chimowa and Company ceased to represent me due to threats faced by Mr Gift Dick Chimowa and his family, as the court record will show.
“The criminals that attacked Mr Chimowa, despite leaving valuable items in his car, went away with the File that contained the record of this case in which the Judge is suing me. It is from this background that I request that the Court makes a digital as well as a physical file for me,” he said.
He further requested that future court documents be served through his email address and a Lilongwe postal address, saying he is now handling the case without legal representation.
The letter comes shortly after the High Court found Kamangila liable in a defamation suit filed by Manda and ordered that damages be assessed by the Registrar of the High Court and Supreme Court of Appeal.
