A High Court ruling has delivered a major legal blow to lawyer and whistleblower Alexious Kamangila, after the court found him liable for defamation in his ongoing dispute with High Court Judge Kenan Manda, a case that has gripped Malawi’s legal circles since 2024.
Judge Howard Pemba issued the ruling after finding Kamangila in default of court directions, specifically failing to comply with scheduling conference orders issued in March 2025. The court noted that required documents, including witness statements and skeleton arguments, were not filed within the prescribed timeframe.
As a result, Kamangila’s defence was struck out, effectively leaving the case to proceed without opposition.
With no defence on record, the court ruled in favor of Manda on liability, shifting the focus now to the assessment of damages, which will be determined by the Registrar of the High Court and the Supreme Court of Appeal at a later date. The damages include compensatory, aggravated, and exemplary awards.
In a further strong directive, Judge Pemba issued a permanent injunction, barring Kamangila as well as any associates or representatives from publishing or repeating the allegedly defamatory statements against Judge Manda.
The court also ordered Kamangila to remove all offending content within 24 hours of being served with the order.Kamangila has since indicated that he disagrees with the ruling, signaling a potential continuation of the legal battle.
The case stems from October 2024, when Judge Manda filed a defamation suit seeking K250 million in damages, alongside a public apology and a halt to what he described as false and damaging statements.
For now, the court has spoken and the consequences are only beginning to unfold.
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