Judges from Malawi’s high and supreme courts of appeal have gone on strike to press demands for a fleet of 26 new four-wheeled drive vehicles, a court official said on Friday.
The judges want the new 4x4s to replace their ageing sedans, which they have been driving for the past 10 years, said Blantyre High Court registrar Sylvester Kalembera.
”We are entitled to better cars than the current fleet of sedans. We want 4X4s,” he said.
The judges said they want the new 4X4s because they regard themselves as equals to principal secretaries — top governmental officials who are one rank below that of a minister — and are entitled to the luxury vehicles.
Kalembera said judges throughout the country have joined the strike, which started as a sit-in on Wednesday.
Only ”selected cases” of homicide and murder are being attended to, Kalembera said.
He said there has been ”no consensus” reached between the judges and the Malawian government on the car issue.
”There is still no solution in sight,” he said.
Judges go home with a salary of at least $1 000 (about R6 000) per month, which is considered a lot of money in Malawi, one of the poorest countries on the continent. — AFP
