LILONGWE—Senior Resident Magistrate Bracious Kondowe yesterday sentenced Chifundo Mwaya to 18 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for robbery, after he pleaded guilty to stealing items worth about K3.7 million from Area 43 Charismatic Church. However, facts presented in court revealed a far darker story—one that has shaken both the faith community and the nation.
The court heard that on the night of March 27–28, Mwaya, a security guard employed by Safeguard Security Services and entrusted with protecting the premises, turned against his colleagues. Armed with a concrete block and metal tools, he broke into the church. Outside, fellow guards Fadwick Lackson and Frank Ndenguma were attacked one after the other, each struck on the head in what the court described as a calculated and merciless assault. Both men died from the injuries.
In his judgment, Magistrate Kondowe, a believer himself, departed from the usual restrained tone of the bench, underscoring the moral weight of the crime.
“A man entrusted with protection and safety… turned guardian into predator, protector into destroyer,” he wrote. “Each strike and each breach was an assault not only on the structure but on faith itself.”
After the killings, Mwaya proceeded to loot the church, taking instruments used in worship—including a Yamaha keyboard, an amplifier, and cables. The court noted these were items “meant to channel prayer, music and devotion,” now reduced to “trophies of crime.”
“A place consecrated for worship, reflection and safety was instead transformed into a scene of violence,” the magistrate added, reflecting the depth of violation felt by the congregation and the wider public.
Despite the brutality outlined, the conviction before the magistrate’s court was limited to robbery, as such courts have no jurisdiction over murder cases. The 18-year sentence, though severe, represents only part of the legal process.
A legal analyst described the ruling bluntly:
“This is an appetizer. The main case awaits at the High Court. Two lives were taken in gruesome fashion—and that carries the heaviest consequences under Malawian law.”
Mwaya is expected to be committed to the High Court, where he will face murder charges that could attract life imprisonment or even the death penalty.
To would-be offenders, Magistrate Kondowe has fired a clear warning shot.
“When people of previous good behaviour decide to enter the world of crime in grand style, they should not be surprised when they are met with the full force of the law,” he wrote.
As Mwaya, 33, starts serving his 18-year sentence, the nation finds some comfort in his incarceration, while awaiting the High Court trial where he will face the double murder charges.
