Court acquits two over stolen hospital equipment

The Dedza Senior Resident Magistrate’s Court has acquitted Rhoda Mkhwazi and Tadala Katantha, who were answering a charge of theft by public servant when they were accused of stealing some medical items.

The two, who work at Dedza District Hospital, were arrested after a report was made to police that they had kept two nets belonging to the hospital at a certain shop.

Mkhwazi, from Katsekaminga Village under Traditional Authority Kamenyagwaza, and Katantha, from Chalendewa Village under Traditional Authority Kalumba, were charged on July 28, 2026.

The two were represented by Principal Legal Aid Advocate Chikondi Kambuwa and Senior Legal Aid Advocate Jean Sharon Banda after seeking legal aid.

The State paraded four witnesses during the trial, but the evidence failed to establish that Mkhwazi and Katantha had stolen the nets. The court heard that the nets had been released on the instructions of their supervisor.

One of the witnesses told the court during cross-examination that she was unaware of the matter and that it had not been reported to hospital authorities before being taken to the police. Another witness also confirmed that the accused persons had acted on instructions, while the final witness failed to link them to the alleged theft.

In its ruling on whether the two had a case to answer, the court found that the State had failed to establish a case against them.

The court also noted that there was no evidence proving that the nets had been stolen by the accused persons and no proper documentation showing that nets were missing from Dedza District Hospital.