In a dramatic turn of events that unfolded like a Shakespearean play laced with academic arrogance and bureaucratic mumbling, the long-anticipated student demonstration against the University of Malawi has been called off — at least for now.
This follows a high-stakes stakeholders’ meeting held at Zomba District Council today, where Humble CS Bondo, former University of Malawi Students Union President, sat across the table from Alfred Iteta Banda, the University’s Deputy Registrar. Also in attendance were the District Commissioner, police top brass, and a slew of curious observers who smelled the smoke of injustice rising from the ivory towers of UNIMA.
The meeting, which began with Bondo recounting how he was unfairly targeted for his no-nonsense leadership — likened by some to a storm that swept away years of academic stagnation — saw jaws drop when it was revealed that the University had ignored a court order issued by Judge Zione Ntaba. The order had directed UNIMA to process Bondo’s appeal within 30 days, from 2 April to 2 May 2025. It is now July 8, and not even a whisper of compliance had emerged from the University’s corridors.
When pressed on this blatant disregard for judicial authority, the University’s representative resorted to an incoherent explanation, raising eyebrows and questions about whether the University is being run by administrators or amateur jugglers of justice. One observer was overheard saying, “If silence is golden, then Sajidu’s administration is a gold mine of negligence.”
In a move that might be mistaken for a magician’s late entrance, the Vice Chancellor, Samson Sajidu — long silent on the matter — is now reportedly “back to his senses,” instructing that Bondo’s appeal be processed on Thursday, with a final decision promised by Friday, 11 July at 4:30 PM. To many, this was less an act of goodwill and more a last-minute bid to avoid public disgrace — or worse, a flood of protests.
Bondo, ever the tactician, asked for a short recess before accepting the University’s olive branch — albeit with a spiked edge. Upon return, he declared that in the interest of progress and public trust, he would give the University “the benefit of doubt,” but warned there would be “no running around, no fooling around.”
He demanded — and was granted — that the University’s promise be clearly recorded in the official minutes of the meeting, and that he be handed a copy by 8 a.m. tomorrow. “The minutes will be for all Malawians to see,” Bondo declared. “Because the truth fears no sunlight.”
As the sun sets on Zomba, all eyes now turn to Friday — and to a Vice Chancellor who, according to critics, has spent more time hiding from student grievances than addressing them. One seasoned student activist put it bluntly: “If UNIMA was a boat, Sajidu would be the captain who fell asleep at the wheel while the ship drifted into a courtroom.”
The stakeholders’ meeting has drawn a clear line in the sand through the commitments made by all parties. With the University pledging to issue a decision by 4:30 PM on Friday, 11 July, the ball is now firmly in their court. Should they fail to honour their word, Bondo has made it clear — the matter will no longer be confined to boardrooms, but will move to the streets through demonstrations, vigils, or both.
