Malawi’s opposition has urged Vice-President Jane Ansah to address the nation over the absence of President Peter Mutharika, who is currently on a trip abroad that the government describes as private.
Speaking at a briefing in Lilongwe, Moses Kunkuyu, campaign director of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), told Ansah to “wake up and tell us what is happening in this country”.
Kunkuyu argued that, as the elected vice-president, Ansah should reassure the public as Malawi faces fuel shortages, economic hardship and shortages of essential medicines.
He opened his remarks with a Bible passage in which terrified disciples wake Jesus during a storm and ask whether he cares if they drown.
He said many Malawians felt abandoned and looked to their leaders for guidance.
Kunkuyu said that if the president was unwell, citizens would understand.
“Anyone can fall sick,” he said.
However, he questioned the lack of information about the trip.
He said the government’s description of it as private had fuelled speculation, and that Malawians were left wondering where their leader was and when he would return.
The MCP says Ansah has both a constitutional responsibility and a moral duty to speak out.
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