Elisha from Mzimba district, is one talented footballer who had stints with Mzuni and Chitipa United. But the moment he took to a native doctor under pretense to heighten his talent, all the dreams and prospects for him shattered. Now, some teams who reckon his talent have been requesting prisons for him to feature in their games although he is an inmate. He is in prison because he had sexual intercourse with an underage as a ritual to increase his goal scoring prowess.
But, what does the law say?
Deitrich Friderich has been probing this whole story which clumps, social issues, beliefs and the law.
During a tournament held by an aspiring Member of Parliament contesting for the city of Mzuzu, a rising football star netted 32 goals, effectively earning himself the accolade of “player of the tournament”.
Despite this achievement, it was rendered meaningless as he remains unable to display his talents beyond the prison walls where he has been confined since 2021.
So, how did he find himself in this situation?
This is an extraordinary tale of a player whose aspiration to represent the Malawi national football team is now thwarted by his incarceration.
Let’s rewind to 2017, when a young boy named Elisha saw his dreams materialize as he began playing in the country’s top football league, the TNM Super League.
Elisha, affectionately nicknamed “Ronaldo,” hails from Chidongo village in Traditional Authority Mtwalo within the Mzimba district, and has harbored ambitions of playing football at the highest echelons as he matured.
Like many boys, he was fervently passionate about the sport. In 2017, his aspirations came to fruition when one of the leading clubs from Lilongwe scouted him and offered him a contract. Subsequently, the club loaned him to Mzuni, where he played until 2018.
Following his time at Mzuni, another club, Chitipa United, showed interest in acquiring his talents, and it was here that he demonstrated his prowess as a formidable striker and goal poacher.
Here comes a twist in the narrative; it appears that he chose to enhance his performance through black magic, juju or witchcraft rituals to facilitate scoring numerous goals.
Rumor has it that Ronaldo sought out a renowned witchdoctor known for his black magic. Upon visiting the healer, he was instructed to undertake a ritual for the magic to be effective. The ritual involved him sleeping with a minor, as the witchdoctor claimed that the smaller sexual parts of a child would make it easier for him to score goals on a larger stage.
With all hope of realizing his dream, Ronaldo embarked on a journey back to his home village, feeling shaken and frightened but focused on one objective: to achieve his goal.
Upon reaching his home village, Ronaldo allegedly engaged in sexual relations with an underage child, as he had been instructed. His aspirations were to become the top striker in the country’s football league.
But how did it all conclude for him?
According to Malawian law, engaging in sexual relations with an underage child (as defined by law) is a criminal offense. The country is currently making significant efforts to combat the issue of defilement. Recently, Parliament has enacted even stricter laws and penalties aimed at protecting children, particularly girls.
Consequently, anyone found guilty of violating this law faces severe punishment, including harsher prison sentences, to deter others from similar actions.
Ronaldo was not exempt from this, as the long arm of the law eventually caught up with him. He was convicted and sentenced to a 12-year prison term, leading him to the gates of Mzuzu prison.
Upon his arrival at Mzuzu prison, Ronaldo struggled to come to terms with his grim reality. His journey towards becoming the best striker the league had ever known had unexpectedly turned into a descent hell.
Over time, Ronaldo came to accept his status as a prisoner and recognized that being incarcerated was not the end of his life. This realization prompted him to engage in extracurricular activities with fellow inmates, particularly in sports, with a focus on football.
To everyone’s astonishment, Ronaldo proved to be a talented striker, impressing prison warders who were taken aback by his potential. A well-built, fast-paced inmate, he could score goals at an unprecedented rate. This talent made Ronaldo a star within the prison walls.
Ronaldo’s popularity escalated to the extent that he became the captain of the prison football team. During a tournament organized by an aspiring Member of Parliament for Mzuzu city, Ronaldo netted 32 goals in just a few matches.
This impressive performance caught the attention of a super league team, which persuaded prison officials to permit Ronaldo to play for them while returning to serve his sentence in the evenings.
This story piqued my curiosity and sparked my interest, just as it has yours.
Consequently, I traveled to Mzuzu to meet Ronaldo and hear his story directly from him.
The plan was to arrive at the prison in the afternoon, so I stopped by a friend’s house for a chat while I formulated my approach to the prison officials. My friends were surprised to see me in Mzuzu and were pleased, but they had no idea about the true reason for my visit to the green city.
Around lunchtime, I set off with a driver I had met in the city, Mr. Gondwe. He appeared to be an elderly man, but he was very cheerful and amiable.
There is an old adage: no man is an island, so I brought a friend along to accompany us, serving as a potential bearer of bad news in case I did not return safely. Upon reaching the prison gates, we were met by prison warders who assumed we were there to visit relatives.
However, we clarified that we were special visitors who had come to pray for the inmates. At that moment, I transformed into a preacher, a man of God, which facilitated our entry into the prison, where we were escorted to a designated area for worship.
While there, we were led into a lovely room that contained a Bible, and shortly thereafter, Ronaldo arrived. Our conversation was intended to be brief to avoid raising any suspicions among the prison warders regarding our presence. I saw him with my own eyes; he was a well-built man, and we indeed had a wonderful chat.
When I informed him that a specific team in the super league was interested in his talents, he agreed. He mentioned that at the time of our meeting, he had just finished training in preparation for such an opportunity to arise, allowing him to pursue his dream of scoring goals.
The excitement of playing and scoring was evident on his face, filling him with hope and anticipation. He was genuinely smiling throughout our conversation.
During our discussion, he recounted the players he had previously played with and against before I inquired about his decision to engage with an underage child (a minor).
This question triggered strong emotions as he lowered his head and began to explain that he had been set up. He described himself as merely a scapegoat, a fall guy, if you will.
He elaborated that a disagreement with a friend over a bicycle led to this friend fabricating the entire story.
As we were leaving, he requested that we send him a ball of his own so he could play while inside. My friend and I began to worry about how we would exit the prison premises. How we managed to leave is a tale for another time.
Mzuzu City Hammers confirmed that they had sent a letter to prison officials requesting Ronaldo’s services.
According to Benjamin Thole, their general secretary, they expressed a desire to bring Ronaldo into their team to assist them in the super league.
“We truly need his services and are looking forward to a favorable response from the prison authorities,” Thole stated.
At that time, Mzuzu City Hammers were facing challenges in the 2025 TNM Super League.
The spokesperson for Mzuzu prison, Macbeth Wansambo, confirmed that he received the request but advised us to consult his superiors, indicating that the letter had been escalated to the prison headquarters in Lilongwe.
We attempted to reach the spokesperson for the prison services, Steve Meke, who requested additional time to gather more information before providing an official comment.
Recently, Malawi introduced a new law known as the Prison Act, which, among other provisions, grants inmates’ certain freedoms based on the principle that prisons should focus on reform rather than punishment, revenge, or retribution.
Victor Mhango is a lawyer, a human rights advocate, and the executive director of the Centre for Human Rights Education, Advice and Assistance (CHREAA).
Mhango noted that while the situation is complex given the country’s legal framework, every individual is entitled to the right to some rights.
“The new law includes an economic provision, which could serve as a means of generating revenue for the prison,” Mhango stated.
However, he raised concerns regarding security as a precaution before prison officials make any decisions, especially since the team will be traveling outside of Mzuzu.
“There is a possibility, provided both parties address the gray areas such as security,” Mhango remarked.
He reminisced about the time when Michael Kaimfa was under a similar arrangement.
By their global definition, human rights are fundamental entitlements inherent to all individuals, irrespective of race, gender, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or any other status. These rights encompass the right to life, liberty, freedom of expression, and the right to a fair trial, along with economic, social, and cultural rights such as the right to education and health. These rights are universal, indivisible, interdependent, and interrelated.
At discussing this matter, the possibility of Ronaldo ever playing again outside the prison walls and achieving his aspiration of becoming the top goal scorer in the country’s elite league depends on the decisions made by the prison authorities at the headquarters in Lilongwe, where his future hangs in the balance.