A political dispute has erupted in Malawi's Parliament after MP Eisenhower Mkaka accused the government of secretly securing a K100 billion commercial loan from FDH Bank to procure maize without legislative approval. According to Nyasa Times, Mkaka warned that borrowing outside established procedures violates the law and undermines the oversight role of the National Assembly. Speaker Sameer Suleman pushed back against the claims, stating that not every government agreement must be tabled before Parliament.
In separate parliamentary proceedings, Minister of Justice Charles Mhango ruled out a proposal allowing legislators to debate in local languages. Nyasa Times reports that Mhango cited Section 51 of the Constitution, which mandates that elected representatives must be able to read and speak English. Speaker Suleman has directed the Legal Affairs Committee to further examine the language proposal and any potential constitutional amendments.
On the economic front, Malawi is projected to record the largest fiscal deficit in Africa for 2026. Nation Online reports that the World Bank's latest Africa Economic Update revised the country's budget deficit forecast from 9 percent to 11.8 percent of gross domestic product. The report places Malawi ahead of South Sudan and Burundi, attributing the widening gap to inflationary pressures, weak revenue, and rising debt-servicing costs.
Meanwhile, the government has confirmed plans to permanently resettle families displaced from the Kasasile military training area in Nkhata Bay District. According to Nyasa Times, the Ministry of Lands is currently identifying suitable property in a neighboring district to relocate all the affected families to a single site. The displaced residents have been living in temporary shelters since courts ruled they could not legally settle on the military land.