According to Nyasa Times, the main opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) faced significant internal friction during a National Executive Committee meeting in Lilongwe on September 9. Former President Lazarus Chakwera reportedly proposed amending the party constitution to eliminate its two-term limit, a move that would clear the path for him to seek re-election as party leader. The proposal triggered a bitter dispute behind closed doors among senior figures, adding to the party's challenges as it attempts to reorganize following its exit from government.
In a separate development, the Malawian government is facing pushback over its recent ban on the creation of kingdoms. Following a September 7 directive from the Ministry of Local Government declaring that monarchies are not recognized under the country's legal framework, the Mzimba Heritage Association and Maseko Ngoni Heritage Trust publicly challenged the state's position, according to local sources. Additionally, Malawi24 reports that self-proclaimed monarch Vincent Wandale formally rejected the government notice on September 8, demanding a national referendum to allow citizens to vote on their preferred system of governance.
Meanwhile, the High Court has temporarily blocked Parliament from launching public inquiries into several state institutions. Nyasa Times reports that an ordinary citizen, Austin Mkoka, successfully obtained an interim order that effectively halts the legislature's planned probes into the troubled state bodies.
Finally, First Lady Gertrude Mutharika is making sanitation, girls' education, and support for vulnerable families the central focus of her second tenure. According to Pan African Visions on September 8, her renewed social agenda aims to combine social advocacy with the convening power of her office, reviving causes she championed during her previous time at State House.