In brief
The Malawi Congress Party has demanded an explanation for President Peter Mutharika’s fifth visit to South Africa this year, citing the country’s deepening fuel crisis, frequent blackouts and shortage of essential medicines. Information Minister Shadric Namalomba insists that the state president remains in charge from anywhere, dismissing the opposition’s concerns as political exploitation. Opposition leaders have called on Vice‑President Jane Ansah to address the nation and reassure citizens that decision‑making continues. The president’s frequent trips have sparked questions about accountability as Malawi struggles with mounting public frustration.
The Malawi Congress Party has lodged a formal request for clarity over the reason President Peter Mutharika has been away in South Africa since 6 October, the first week of his second term, following his 2025 electoral victory over former President Lazarus Chakwera.
Despite the official designation of the trip as a private visit, the opposition argues that this will be Mutharika’s fifth overseas journey this year, and the lack of transparency has raised concerns amid worsening fuel shortages, blackouts and a scarcity of essential medications in public hospitals.
Leader of the opposition, Moses Kunkuyu, told reporters in Lilongwe that the public deserves to know who is managing national affairs during a period of crisis, and called on Vice‑President Jane Ansah to provide a national address to reassure citizens that leadership remains intact.
Information Minister Shadric Namalomba responded by stating, ‘A state president is always in charge, at any time and from anywhere’, and urged the media to refrain from reporting on ‘private trips’ as a pretext for political criticism, asserting that the president’s absence does not leave a leadership vacuum.
The comments come as Malawi grapples with a severe shortage of foreign currency that has disrupted fuel imports, leading to long queues at petrol stations and increased transport costs, while the electricity grid has been unable to meet demand regularly.
In an attempt to manage the situation, the president has delegated the trade minister to lead Malawi’s delegation to the Comesa summit in Zimbabwe, though past social media reports claiming he travelled from South Africa to India for medical treatment have been dismissed as unverified by officials, who again described such claims as ‘silly and laughable’.
The series of events underscores the fragile state of Malawi’s political climate, where the public’s frustration with economic difficulties is intersecting with questions of political accountability and leadership visibility.
