Minister of Local Government Ben Phiri has cautioned politicians against interfering with the Constituency Development Fund, warning that such actions enable corruption, according to Nyasa Times. Treasury officials confirmed that the allocations will begin reaching district councils next week following earlier delays. However, the rollout is already facing local disputes. In the Kafukule constituency of Mzimba, youths are threatening legal action over the recruitment of fund support staff. They allege that a traditional leader manipulated the hiring process to punish rival village headmen, Nyasa Times and The Guardian report.
Questions regarding government oversight of foreign diplomats have surfaced following a controversy involving businessman Mahmood Azhar Chaudhry. Nyasa Times reports that Chaudhry operated for years with diplomatic privileges as Pakistan's Deputy Consul in Blantyre. While Chaudhry maintains his position was legitimate following a 2018 introduction to former President Peter Mutharika, official correspondence from former Secretary for Foreign Affairs Joel Immanuel Matonga contradicts this claim. Matonga stated the ID card Chaudhry received did not confer any diplomatic or consular immunities, prompting scrutiny over how the Ministry of Foreign Affairs manages consular credentials.
Update: The parliamentary committee investigating the Chikangawa plane crash is currently holding public hearings at the Parliament Building in Lilongwe. According to Nation Online and Nyasa Times, the ad-hoc committee chaired by Walter Nyamilandu has commenced testimonies from high ranking military officials. On June 23, Malawi Defence Force Commander General Paul Valentino Phiri appeared before the committee and testified that standard flight request protocols were bypassed in favor of verbal orders prior to the crash.