Reopening of notorious jail reveals old wounds

The problem of overcrowding in Malawi's jails has long been a source of national concern, but the government's decision to reopen a notorious prison where opponents of former autocratic leader Kamuzu Banda were incarcerated has hit controversy. Former president Bakili Muluzi ordered the closure of Mikuyu and the release of all political prisoners when he was took power in 1994, ending three decades of Banda's iron-fisted rule. Minister of Home Affairs Uladi Mussa last week announced the infamous prison, renowned for its cruelty, would soon start housing prisoners again to ease congestion in the country's jails - especially Zomba Central Prison. "It is the intention of the government to keep prisoners under humanitarian conditions. The conditions at Zomba Central Prison are inhumane and the government cannot condone it," Mussa told journalists. Built in 1919 by colonial administrators, Zomba Central Prison is being severely stretched by overcrowding. Prison cells designed to accommodate a maximum of 20 inmates are housing up to 50 prisoners. Poor living conditions have led to an outbreak of diseases such as scabies and tuberculosis. While political commentators acknowledge that the sub-standard conditions in prisons throughout the country warrants serious attention, they argue the reopening of Mikuyu prison would be disrespectful to political dissidents and intellectuals detained at the prison for long periods without trial during Banda's rule. "The re-opening of Mikuyu Prison is a slap in the face to those who suffered during the one party state. If the government says there is congestion in our prisons then it should admit that the system is not working. What government could do is to speed up court cases and build new prisons," Rafiq Hajat, of the Blantyre-based Institute for Policy Interaction, told IRIN. Political analyst Boniface Dulani said the re-opening of the prison would "demean" the struggle against Banda's authoritarian rule, but added that given Malawi's meagre resources, the government could ill-afford to build new jails. "It is pity that a very important chapter in our history has to be glossed over but we need to be realistic. Our country is faced with severe poverty and that is where our resources should go. It is worthwhile to look into turning at least part of the prison into a museum while the rest of the complex houses ordinary prisoners," he said. Apart from Mikuyu, two prisons in southern Nsanje district on the Mozambican border and the Dzeleka detention camp near Lilongwe in central Malawi are to reopen.