Law student flees over Facebook debate

A University of Malawi law student has been forced into exile after being targeted by the ‘politically powerful’ over a Facebook post. Chancellor College student Negracious Justin hit a nerve on 6 February when he allegedly addressed a controversial government water project via a pseudonym account ‘Lord Denning SC’. The Nyasa Times reports that the project involves the contractor, Khato Civils, tapping water from Lake Malawi to Lilongwe. In a heated argument with ruling Democratic Progressive Party officials, ‘Lord Denning’ questioned the ‘unreasonable’ $500m project. He also noted that there had been no tender advertised for the lucrative contract. ‘Did Malawians see that tender being advertised anywhere in Malawi, Southern Africa or anywhere in the world? What were the selection criteria for that tender? Who presided over it?’ He labelled the project ‘a financial disaster'.