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James Njoloma

James Njoloma was a Malawian combat veteran who orchastrated a failed attempt to topple bakili Muluzi leadership in 1995. Njoloma, together with a number of soldiers, is alleged to have been betrayed by his accomplices before going AWOL. It is thought that the search for the mutiners was the largest since the 1915 Chilembwe aprising. After successfully hiding from the police, Njoloma was tricked by his fellows that it was okey to return from hiding before being captured and controversially charged by a military tribunal to 15 years in prison in 1995. However in November 1998 the Supreme court, which is the highest court in Malawi found that the military court which charged Njoloma in Salima had no jurisdiction to try Njoloma following reviewing of Section 76(3) of the constitution. Unfortunately, Njoloma did not see freedom as he mysteriously died in prison on 24th June 1998 before the judgement.

James Njoloma was one of educated Malawian military personnel earning a bachelor of social science before joining the Malawi army in 1988 and later own a Masters degree studying the history of Malawi Army. A book which he wrote in 1991 The Malaŵi Army: A Hundred Years Today illustrated his brilliance and intellectual acuity in an army still affected by anti intellectualism of the colonial times.