Dreadlocks allowed in Malawi schools

Available for over a year

Pupils with dreadlocks can now attend public schools in Malawi. The High Court in the eastern city of Zomba ordered that these pupils be admitted into school after a petition was brought by two Rastafarian children, who were refused admission to public schools in 2016 and 2010. Members of the Rastafarian community in Malawi have welcomed the court’s decision. However, they now want reparation for members who were denied the right to get an education. Ezaius Mkandawire is a Rastafarian elder of the Nayabingi Order in Lilongwe. He told BBC's Peter Jegwa why schools didn't allow children with dreadlocks in school. (Picture: Ezaius Mkandawire, a Rastafarian elder of the Nayabingi Order in Lilongwe. Credit: BBC)