Malawi shuts schools ahead court ruling

A number of boarding schools in Malawi have closed and sent their pupils home ahead of a court ruling next week on the country’s disputed election.

Opposition parties are challenging the re-election of president Peter Mutharika last year and the judiciary has announced that its decision will be made known next Monday.

The schools say they fear there may be violence in the aftermath of the ruling.

Leading bus companies have also issued notices saying that there will be no services on the day of the judgement.

The information minister has called for calm, saying the government has put in place measures to ensure all citizens are safe.

Malawi has been experiencing an unprecedented wave of political violence since the poll.