For decades, Malawian politics thrived on a dangerous assumption: that citizens would complain quietly, forget quickly, and ultimately accept whatever their leaders served them. That era is over. Today’s Malawians are alert, informed, and unforgiving of abuse of public trust. Holding public office is no longer viewed as a shortcut to personal wealth, but as a position under constant public scrutiny. Politicians who fail to grasp this new reality do so at their own peril. Across the country, citizens are watching their leaders more closely than ever before. Empty slogans, recycled promises, and staged sympathy no longer impress. Malawians want evidence—clear, measurable action that improves their lives. Anything less is dismissed as political noise. This shift marks a profound change in the relationship between the governed and those who govern. At the centre of this awakening is technology. The expansion of internet access, social media, and digital news platforms has...

In a country too often numbed by disaster and delayed relief, Apostle Clifford Kawinga is quietly building a reputation as one of Malawi’s most consistent and compassionate humanitarians. Through Salvation for All Ministries International and its outreach arm, the Hope Field Initiative, Apostle Kawinga has once again stepped into the gap—this time bringing tangible relief and renewed hope to flood survivors in Nkhotakota District. The Ministry has distributed relief items to affected communities under Traditional Authority Mwadzama A and B, reaching survivors at Group Village Head Fusani and Bango, some of the hardest-hit and often overlooked areas. Speaking after the donation exercise, Apostle Kawinga said the intervention was driven by a moral and spiritual obligation to respond to suffering wherever it exists. “Nkhotakota is facing disaster upon disaster—floods compounded by hunger,” he said. “As a Ministry, we believe we must always do something, however small, through the grace God gives us.”...

A Malawi court has been thrown into the spotlight after the State formally charged former Minister of Homeland Security Ezekiel Ching’oma and Gracian Lungu with terrorist financing, one of the gravest offences under the country’s criminal law. Ching’oma arives at the court Senior Resident Magistrate Bracious Kondowe told the court that prosecutors allege Ching’oma transferred K3.9 million from his Centenary Bank account into a National Bank of Malawi account belonging to Lungu, money the State claims was intended to fund criminal activity aimed at destabilising public order. According to the charge sheet, the funds were allegedly meant to facilitate the abduction of human rights activist Sylvester Namiwa, who at the time was mobilising protests. The prosecution argues that the alleged financing was part of a broader scheme to silence dissent through criminal means. Magistrate Kondowe said the State alleges that Ching’oma committed the offence over a prolonged period, between 9...

The Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) has launched a formal internal investigation following a tragic accident at its Nsaru site in Lilongwe on Sunday, January 18, which claimed the life of one employee and left three others injured. ESCOM confirmed that a linesperson was fatally injured while performing duties at the site. The three other employees involved sustained injuries of varying severity and are currently receiving medical attention. Their conditions are being closely monitored. In an official statement issued on Monday, ESCOM management said the investigation aims to determine the exact circumstances and cause of the accident. The company emphasized that the inquiry will be conducted thoroughly and transparently, with updates to be provided as the investigation progresses. “The safety of our employees is our top priority. This investigation will not only establish what happened but will also help us strengthen our safety protocols to prevent similar incidents in...

The Malawi Police Service—constitutionally mandated to protect citizens—has been exposed as the country’s leading perpetrator of human rights violations, in a damning National Statistical Office (NSO) survey that lays bare a justice system in deep moral and institutional decay. According to the 2025 NSO survey on justice and accountability, 10.6 percent of respondents nationwide identified the police as the main abusers of human rights, making them the single most frequently reported violators—ahead of courts, prosecutors and other public officers. For many Malawians, the first encounter with the State is not protection or service, but abuse, fear and impunity. Even more troubling, the report shows women bear the brunt of State abuse. 11.2 percent of women reported violations by police compared to 10 percent of men, while courts—supposed to be neutral arbiters—were cited by 5.6 percent of women, more than double the 2.6 percent of men. Similar gender gaps run through...

The Malawi National Examinations Board (MANEB) has finished registering candidates for the 2026 national examinations, but the numbers show fewer learners will sit exams this year compared to last year. Nampota According to MANEB, the number of learners registered for both Primary School Leaving Certificate of Education (PSLCE) and Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) exams has dropped by 0.8 percent. MANEB Executive Director Dorothy Nampota said registration ran from November 10 to December 31, 2025, with a one-day reopening on January 12, 2026 to allow late payments and registrations. The Numbers Tell a Worrying Story For the MSCE, the number of candidates has dropped from 202,940 in 2025 to 201,384 in 2026. For the PSLCE, candidate numbers have fallen from 257,129 last year to 255,070 this year. Only the Junior Certificate of Education (JCE) shows a small increase, rising slightly from 166,123 to 166,652 candidates. In total, 623,106 learners are expected...

Across Malawi, a silent crisis is unfolding behind prison walls—thousands of people are being punished without ever being found guilty. They are not serving sentences. They are waiting. And that wait is stretching into years, even decades, exposing a justice system that has normalised delay and turned remand into punishment. In law, remand is meant to be temporary. In reality, it has become a life sentence by neglect. At Blantyre Prison, Kalilitu Jimu has been on remand since January 2011.Fourteen years later, his case has never been concluded. “I believed the court would hear me and decide my case,” Jimu says. “I never imagined I would grow old here without a trial.” Every day begins with the same hollow hope. “You wake up thinking maybe today they will call your name,” he says. “Most days, nothing happens. You just wait.” That waiting has cost Jimu everything. Both his parents died...

Government has allocated MK7 billion towards a nationwide National Registration Campaign aimed at registering about 4.6 million unregistered children across the country. Mukhito Minister of Homeland Security Peter Mukhito said the campaign will be rolled out in seven phases across 25 districts, with a strong focus on children who currently have no legal identity. Speaking at a press briefing in Lilongwe, Mukhito said registering children is not just an administrative exercise but a national obligation. “Government cannot allow this generation of children to grow up without legal identity, protection, and access to the rights and opportunities they deserve. Comprehensive birth registration provides accurate data for development planning, budgeting, service delivery and policy formulation, while also strengthening identity management systems and curbing fraud and age manipulation,” he said. Mukhito explained that the National Registration Bureau (NRB) requires about MK17.8 billion to fully implement the exercise over more than one financial year....

Across Malawi, livestock farmers are facing a growing crisis. Infrastructure meant to protect their animals dip tanks has been largely abandoned. These facilities were built to help farmers control ticks and prevent deadly livestock diseases. Today, most are not working, and farmers are paying the price. Malawi’s livestock sector is vital for both the economy and household survival. The livestock industry contributes about 11 percent of the country’s GDP and around 36 percent of agricultural GDP. At the household level, livestock can contribute between 16 and 50 percent of a family’s annual income through meat, milk, and other products. Official data from government sources shows that out of about 304 dip tanks, roughly 264 are non-functional, with only around 40 still operating. Dip tanks allow farmers to dip their animals regularly in chemical solutions that kill ticks and parasites. Without dipping, cattle are at high risk of diseases like heartwater...

Legal and human rights commentators have launched blistering attacks on Malawi’s justice system over the handling of the attempted murder case involving MCP Secretary General Richard Chimwendo Banda, warning that the saga has exposed deep institutional rot, procedural recklessness and a judiciary dangerously at odds with itself. Chimwendo’s lawyer: Jivason At the heart of the storm is what experts describe as a “judicial mess” that has left the public confused, the law strained and the credibility of the courts badly bruised. The controversy escalated after Chimwendo Banda on Thursday withdrew his bail application before the High Court Criminal Division, which was being handled by Justice Mzonde Mvula. He cited the absence of any substantive criminal proceedings by the State as the reason for abandoning the bail process altogether. The withdrawal came barely hours after High Court Civil Division Judge Kenyatta Nyirenda ordered Chimwendo Banda’s immediate and unconditional release, pending the...