Gerald Kazembe resigned as the First Deputy Secretary General of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) on March 14, citing a need for reflection following the party's defeat in the September 2025 general elections. In a resignation letter addressed to MCP Secretary General Richard Chimwendo Banda, the Mangochi Monkey Bay legislator criticised the party hierarchy for arrogance and accused greedy and mediocre leaders of damaging the party's legacy, according to Nation Online. Face of Malawi notes that Kazembe will not cross the floor, clarifying that he remains a card-carrying member of the MCP and will continue to serve his parliamentary term under the party banner.
Update: The parliamentary inquiry into the K128.7 billion Amaryllis Hotel acquisition escalated after the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) moved to subpoena Attorney General Frank Mbeta. The Maravi Post reports that Mbeta failed to attend a scheduled hearing on Monday morning due to other commitments, prompting PAC chairperson Steve Baba Malondera to direct the legal department to compel his appearance later in the week. Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Simplex Chithyola Banda has demanded that President Peter Mutharika fire the Attorney General and Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamveka over their alleged ties to the hotel deal, according to Nyasa Times.
The PAC is also facing external criticism from governance experts over a lakeside meeting held with Reserve Bank of Malawi officials in Salima on March 14. Nation Online reports that commentators are questioning the timing of the meeting, which occurred just days before central bank Governor George Partridge is scheduled to testify before the committee regarding the pension fund transaction. Malondera defended the gathering as a routine quarterly briefing on broader economic developments.
In electoral news, the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) received its final consignment of ballot papers on Sunday ahead of the parliamentary and local government by-elections scheduled for March 17. According to Nation Online, MEC chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja confirmed that a slight delay in the delivery of the materials, caused by a flight communication breakdown in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, will not affect the polling schedule. A separate official, DPP director of elections Jean Mathanga, attributed the delays to instability in the Middle East. The official campaign period closed on March 15, clearing the way for over 241,000 registered voters to cast their ballots across four constituencies and nine wards.