National Oil Company of Malawi (Nocma) has donated K200Million towards the Emergency Response Programme targeting communities affected by recent heavy rains and floods following floods which started from 14 March, and ended on 18 the same month.
Speaking at Capitol Hill in Lilongwe, NOCMA Director of Finance Sophia Mkandawire said the country is committed to complementing Malawi Government efforts in assisting the affected people and building their resilience to disasters.
“People affected by recent heavy rains and floods are not strangers. They are our fellow Malawians. They are not alone. As NOCMA, we stand with our fellow citizens and we recognize the disruption disasters bring on livelihoods.”
Commissioner for Disaster Management Affairs Wilson Moleni described the donation as timely and commended the company for the gesture.
“We are providing relief assistance to over 39,000 households affected by recent disasters. Currently, we have developed a budget of around K17 billion to restore basic services, prevent secondary disaster impacts and initiate early recovery.
Cumulatively, since the onset of the rain season in October, 2025 to date, a total of 86,801 households (approx. 390,605 people) have been affected with 372 injuries and 78 deaths recorded.
Particularly, the recent heavy rains and floods experienced over the past week from 15th to 19th March, 2026, have affected a total of 39,606 households (approx. 178,227 people) with 29 deaths and 142 injuries recorded. Assessments are still ongoing in some of the affected areas.
Provision of humanitarian assistance to both the food-insecure households and the recent disaster-affected households is ongoing. Government through the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) and its humanitarian partners are providing food and non-food items as well as other technical support in the affected councils.
Established through the Disaster Preparedness and Relief Act of 1991, the Department of Disaster Management Affairs is the Government of Malawi’s agency responsible for coordinating and directing the implementation of disaster risk management programmes in the country in order to improve and safeguard the quality of life of Malawians, especially those vulnerable to and affected by disasters.
As the succession battle continues in the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), embattled Vice President Dr. Jane Ansah is said to be receiving enormous pressure to immediately resign from her position.
There is palpable fear that, at 86, anything can happen to President Mutharika, who has recently travelled to South Africa twice for treatment since being elected into office a few months ago. His inner circle fears that once Ansah assumes the presidency in the event that he is incapacitated or dies, that will mark the end of their access to power, as she, like Joyce Banda before her, would bring in her own inner circle.
Well placed sources say a small circle of the Mutharika’s most trusted allies has quietly formed an informal governing council, assumed control over key executive decisions, and is now actively working to consolidate power and block any constitutional succession that falls outside their sphere of influence and cabal.
Ansah, not being embraced by the DPP party
According to the sources, the president is said to have cited Ansah’s December 2025 trip to Britain, where she attended her husband’s birthday in Nottingham, as the trigger. Government spokesperson Shadrick Namalomba confirmed publicly on 24 December 2025 that approximately MWK168 million, about US$100,000, in public funds had been approved for the Vice-President and five officials for this particular trip, while a subsequent presidential statement suggested the trip was privately funded. However, sources say the move is rooted in a deepening power struggle within the ruling party over who will succeed Mutharika.
“There are many who realise that, at his advanced age, Mutharika may not complete his term to 2030,” said one source within DPP.
The source added that because Malawi’s Constitution stipulates that when a president is incapacitated or dies, the Vice-President automatically takes over to finish his elected term, factions within Mutharika’s inner circle are pushing to remove her to block that succession pathway for her. The source said the trip is not the real issue but a pretext for getting rid of her.
In January 2026, the Department of Disaster Management Affairs, one of the most operationally significant portfolios attached to the Office of the Vice-President, was removed by presidential directive and transferred to the Office of the President and Cabinet. The Department of Public Sector Reforms was also removed from her office within days. Sources also say that Dr Ansah’s security team has been materially reduced in what they describe as a deliberate effort to weaken the office.
The discussions to have Ansah relinquish her post, says the source, are said to be taking place at senior levels within the party. The discussions are also said to be looking for the possibility of impeaching Dr Ansah through parliament.
This is not the first time that Malawi has been hit by such a crisis. In 2012, when President Bingu wa Mutharika was in office, he died suddenly, and members of his inner circle attempted to block the then Vice-President Joyce Banda from assuming power. However, she ultimately took over in accordance with the constitutional provision that the vice-president succeeds the president in the event of death in office. Former President Bingu wa Mutharika was the current president’s brother.
The Malawian Constitution, in Section 83, provides that the Vice-President automatically succeeds the President in the event of death or incapacitation. Malawi’s “Vice-President problem” is not accidental. It is the result of a constitutional system designed to ensure continuity of power, but which, in practice, has produced repeated political battles, mistrust, and succession crises for over 20 years.
At the centre of the problem is a constitutional design that gives the Vice-President automatic succession powers but does not require them to remain politically aligned with the President after election. This has repeatedly created situations where Presidents and their deputies fall out, yet the vice-president can not easily be removed.
The issue can be traced back to the early years of multiparty democracy in Malawi. Tensions emerged within the ruling elite over succession and loyalty, setting the tone for future instability around the vice-presidency.
The problem became more pronounced under the current president’s brother, Bingu wa Mutharika. After falling out with his Vice-President Cassim Chilumpha, Mutharika senior attempted to sideline Chilumpha politically. Chilumpha was even arrested on treason allegations in 2006, yet constitutionally, he remained vice-president, exposing the limits of presidential power over the office.
A major turning point came in 2012 when Bingu wa Mutharika died in office. His relationship with his Vice-President Joyce Banda had completely broken down after she formed her own party. It was so bad that the inner circle of former president Bingu wa Mutharika transported his body to South Africa under the pretext that he was going to receive treatment, when in fact he had already died in Malawi. They were buying time. President Jacob Zuma’s administration is said to have threatened to expose this if they did not do the right thing by taking the body back to Lilongwe.
Members of Mutharika senior’s inner circle, including his brother and current president, tried to block Banda from taking over, but the Constitution prevailed, and she was sworn in as president. This moment cemented fears within ruling elites that a vice-president outside their control could inherit power.
The pattern continued under Peter Mutharika during his first term. His vice-president, the late Dr Saulos Chilima, also fell out with him, formed his own political party, and eventually ran against him in elections. Despite the fallout, Chilima remained vice-president because the Constitution did not provide an easy mechanism for dismissal.
What makes the current situation more revealing is that the pressure is not directed at the First Vice-President alone. Second Vice-President Enoch Chihana is also facing a public campaign of attacks from within the same DPP inner circle. At a campaign rally in Rumphi, DPP Vice-President for the Northern Region Jappie Mhango told a public gathering that Chihana holds no ministerial post and would need to beg DPP ministers for development in his own constituency, adding that “a stepchild can never become chief.”
DPP Northern Region Governor Christopher Mzomera Ngwira publicly declared that Chihana would not last in his position and accused him of fighting President Mutharika.
There is a constitutional distinction. Unlike the First Vice-President Dr Ansah, who was elected on the presidential ticket and can only be removed through parliament through impeachment, the Second Vice-President is appointed under Section 80(5) of the Constitution and serves at the President’s discretion.
The attempt to clear out the Mutharika’s deputies is clear. One vice-president is being stripped of portfolios, asked to resign, threatened with impeachment, and deprived of security. The other is being publicly undermined, humiliated, and warned that his tenure will end and that he exists at the mercy of the DPP mafia. Although the mechanisms differ because the constitutional positions differ, the objective is the same.
High expectations ensued among many Malawians when President Peter Mutharika (APM) was elected into power in September 2025.
Under APM’s leadership, supporters envisaged a future of zero tolerance to rampant corruption, a stiff stand against albino killings, better public service delivery and improved economy.
Much as some people hold the view that Malawi economic status is gradually improving as the price of some basic food products such as maize is slightly dwindling, others surmise that the September 2025 change of government simply signifies a change of beneficiaries of thieving and corruption.
In contrast to fighting corruption, it is perplexing that President Mutharika continues to employ a bodyguard who was once accused of stealing his Taxpayer Identification Number (TPIN), thereby raising questions about APM’s political will of ensuring accountability and integrity.
Furtherm
Mutharika
ore, the decision to drop corruption charges against officers such as the Reserve Bank Governor Mathanga currently serving the president indicates a lack of commitment to fighting corruption within the government.
In fact, it doesn’t auger well with fighting corruption when Norman Chisale 5 billion kwacha money laundering case was dropped willy-nilly. One wonders if justice is meant to be meted out only to the poor and the disadvantaged under APM’s leadership.
In fact, maintaining Chisale in multiple roles such as Member of Parliament, Deputy minisMinister ter of Homeland and Security, and APM’s personal bodyguard creates a conflict of interest, which usually undermines the integrity of public service.
In a country such as Malawi where joblessness is rampant, it is logically sound that such roles should be evenly distributed to benefit other Malawians. No one should have a monopoly of privileges and opportunities.
Additionally, the appointment of individuals such as Richard Luhanga, Enoch Chihana and others who have corruption charges against them, to public office suggests a disregard for ethical standards in governance as far as APM leadership is concerned.
Much as it remains a daunting fact that a person is deemed innocent till proven guilty by a competent court of law, appointing individuals who are answering corruption charges has a propensity of promoting fraud, bribery and graft as criminal investigations become compromised.
Sadly, the failure by President Mutharika to suspend anyone involved in the financial scandal related to the Amaryllis Hotel points to a potential cover-up or negligence in addressing corruption.
It is disheartening to note huge payments towards the sale of Amaryllis hotel were made in January 2026 under APM’s watch.
Furthermore, appointing individuals such as Brian Banda without following due process raises concerns about transparency and fairness in government appointments.
Both transparency and fairness demand that eligible candidates to the positions of Chief Executive Officer and Director General in the public service sector must undergo intensive and competitive interviews.
Critics have also raised concerns that President Peter Mutharika is potentially promoting and tolerating corruption. Why did APM fail to reprimand Cabinet Ministers Alfred Gangata and Norman Chisale for being awarded security contracts dubiously.
The fact that their Malawi Revenue Authority Security Contract was cancelled is evidence that corruption and bribery really occurred and consequently the culprits must face the long arm of the law.
It remains mind boggling why President Mutharika chose to pardon the murderers of Lule Buleya who were sentenced for over 15 years but only served for less than a year.
Critics have therefore argued that such a pardon has proved the rumours right that APM may have benefited from the escalating albino killings. This is a sad story.
In conclusion, if these concerns remain unaddressed, the trust upon APM’s integrity among many Malawians will continue to erode drastically.
Mighty Wanderers FC president Thomson Mpinganjira on Sunday clarified that Ekhaya Farms Foods is not an official sponsor of any football club in the country, amid public discussion about the company’s alleged involvement in local football financing.
Speaking in response to the speculation during the Presidential Ball Awards at Golden Peacock Hotel in Blantyre, the Wanderers president said the company should not be linked to the club’s sponsorship arrangements.
Mpinganjira
According to him, the support that Mighty Wanderers receives from him is provided in his personal capacity, and not through the company.
“There has been too much talk about this matter, and I would like to make it clear that Ekhaya does not sponsor any football club in the country,” said Mpinganjira.
He further explained that while he personally assists Wanderers financially, another club, Ekhaya FC, is funded separately by his son, William.
“I personally support Wanderers, but Ekhaya FC is bankrolled by my son William. The company itself is not involved in sponsoring any football club,” he said.
The Wanderers president emphasized that it is important for the public to clearly distinguish between personal contributions and corporate sponsorship, noting that in this case, the company and the football clubs operate independently.
During the same event, Mpinganjira issued a stern warning to Wanderers players regarding penalties, saying any player who refuses to take a penalty during matches will forfeit match bonuses for the entire season.
The business mogul said Wanderers will no longer tolerate players avoiding responsibility during crucial moments in matches.
“I do not want to see that happening again next season,” he said.
The warning follows incidents during the 2025 season in which some Wanderers players reportedly excused themselves from taking penalties at critical stages of major competitions.
The situations occurred during the final of the FDH Bank Cup against Silver Strikers FC and in the semi-final of the Castel Challenge Cup, matches that the Nomads eventually lost.
In 2025, the Nomads ended an eight-year top-flight league title drought.
Mighty Wanderers 2021 Limited president and board chairperson Thomson Frank Mpinganjira has issued a stern warning to his players: take your penalties or risk losing game bonuses for the entire season.
The ultimatum was delivered at the 2026 Mighty Wanderers Presidential Ball Awards, currently underway at the Golden Peacock Hotel in Blantyre.
Mpinganjira’s warning comes in the wake of several high-profile instances where players have shunned taking penalties in crucial matches, including the FDH Bank Cup final against Silver Strikers and the Castel Challenge Cup semi-final.
The Nomads lost both games, and Mpinganjira is determined to put an end to this trend.
Mpinganjira and wife Triphornia
“I do not want to see that happening again next season,” Mpinganjira said, making it clear that he expects every player to be willing to take a penalty when called upon.
The president’s tough stance is aimed at instilling a sense of responsibility and accountability among the players, and ensuring that they are willing to put their team’s interests ahead of personal concerns.
With the club looking to build on its successful 2025 season, Mpinganjira’s warning is a clear indication that he will not tolerate any lack of commitment or courage from his players.
The players have been put on notice, and it remains to be seen how they will respond to this challenge.
