Malawi’s main opposition, the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), has demanded an explanation for President Peter Mutharika’s extended stay in South Africa, saying the country needs strong leadership as it grapples with worsening economic challenges, including fuel shortages, electricity blackouts and a shortage of essential medicines.
The 86-year-old president left Malawi on October 6 for what the government described as a private visit. It is his fifth trip to South Africa this year, with officials releasing little information about the purpose or duration of the visits.
Speaking in Lilongwe on Thursday as reported by the BBC, MCP campaign director Moses Kunkuyu said the opposition was not objecting to the president travelling for personal reasons but wanted assurances that the country’s affairs were being effectively managed in his absence.
He called on Vice-President Jane Ansah to address the nation and explain who was overseeing government operations while Mutharika remained abroad.
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“The issue is not that the president has travelled. The issue is that people are suffering and want reassurance that somebody is in charge,” Kunkuyu said.
He also urged the government to outline measures to tackle persistent fuel shortages, frequent power cuts, foreign currency shortages and the lack of essential medicines in public hospitals.
However, Information Minister, Shadric Namalomba, dismissed suggestions that Mutharika’s absence had created a leadership vacuum, insisting the president remained fully in charge despite being outside the country.
“A state president is always in charge at any time, anywhere,” Namalomba told local media.
When asked about the purpose of the visit, he said: “A private trip is private.”
The minister also accused the opposition of trying to exploit economic problems inherited from the previous administration led by former president Lazarus Chakwera, whom Mutharika defeated to return to office in October last year.
On Thursday, Mutharika delegated the Minister of Trade to lead Malawi’s delegation to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) summit in Zimbabwe.
Earlier this month, the government dismissed social media reports claiming the president had travelled from South Africa to India for medical treatment.
Chief Secretary to the Government, Justin Saidi, said Mutharika remained in South Africa and urged the public not to circulate unverified information.
Mutharika has repeatedly rejected speculation about his health, describing such claims as “silly and laughable” and maintaining that he is in good health.
Malawi continues to face a severe shortage of foreign currency, disrupting fuel imports and contributing to long queues at filling stations, rising transport costs and growing public frustration over the country’s economic difficulties.
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