The Malawi Electoral Commission is questioning a police investigation into its operations after Fiscal and Fraud Section officers visited its Lilongwe headquarters to interrogate staff over financial mismanagement allegations. According to Malawi24 and Nyasa Times, the police questioned the Director of Administration and Human Resources on July 24 regarding an internal audit report covering April 2022 to March 2026. Commission spokesperson Sangwani Mwafulirwa expressed concern over the intervention, noting that the police action occurred before the commission had the opportunity to formally review and respond to the preliminary audit findings.
Internal tensions have surfaced within the ruling Democratic Progressive Party over recent diplomatic appointments. Nyasa Times reports that Foreign Affairs Minister George Chaponda clashed with Deputy Minister of Homeland Security Norman Chisale and another cabinet minister over the issue. In a memo reportedly sent to President Peter Mutharika, Chaponda accused his colleagues of bypassing career diplomats to fill overseas posts with political allies and relatives without his ministry's input.
In the opposition Malawi Congress Party, Lilongwe Nyanja MP Steve Baba Malondera has sparked a political debate by blaming former President Lazarus Chakwera's inner circle for the party's recent electoral defeat. According to Nyasa Times, Malondera accused the former leader's inner circle of mismanaging the campaign strategy. However, critics rejected the attempt to shield the former president, pointing out that Chakwera's inner circle was heavily populated by family members and allies from his own church, making him ultimately responsible for his chosen advisors.
Additionally, Salima North MP Maxwell Mnjema has publicly challenged the government's Constituency Development Fund pledge, according to Nyasa Times. Speaking at a political gathering in Lilongwe, Mnjema demanded the administration slash its K5 billion promise to K500 million or K1 billion. The opposition MP accused the government of making unrealistic financial commitments to voters that it cannot fulfill.