[6] In January 2011, a bill was passed giving the government the power to close print media outlets that published material it deems "contrary to the public interest".
Traditional courts had been tools for political persecution in the past, and were banned by Bakili Muluzi in 1994 after he won the first multi-party elections following independence.
Opposition leaders and human rights activists expressed concerns that the chiefs would abuse the authority of the revived traditional courts, and that the Judiciary would lose power.
Kamanga defended the law, saying the traditional courts would operate only at the local level, with a jurisdiction limited to small matters.
[11] Speaking on Capital Radio's Straight Talk program, Justice Minister Chaponda said that legislation bans farting in public places and makes it a criminal offense.