President Peter Mutharika met with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair at Kamuzu Palace this week to seek international investment for Malawi's mining and energy sectors, according to Nyasa Times. The administration's renewed engagement with the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change drew immediate backlash from the opposition. United Democratic Front leader Atupele Muluzi criticised the meeting as a recycled strategy, noting that the institute advised the previous government at taxpayers' expense while failing to prevent rising debt, foreign exchange shortages, and inflation, Nyasa Times reports.
In separate political and legal developments, former Finance Minister Simplex Chithyola Banda is facing court action over the approval of K29.5 billion in Greenbelt Authority funds, according to Nyasa Times. A newly registered criminal case alleges that Chithyola Banda authorised the funds during his tenure as finance minister. The court has directed the State to proceed by issuing a summons rather than arresting him.
Additionally, Malawi's Supreme Court of Appeal granted Sefasi Matthews Jonathan Masula permission to pursue a judicial review against the Lilongwe District Commissioner, the Ministry of Local Government, and the President of Malawi, Nyasa Times reports. Justice Dingiswayo Madise approved the application after an initial rejection by the High Court, ordering that a different judge examine the decisions made by the public bodies.