Democratic Progressive Party’s lies and deceit on the collection of presidential nomination papers for the ailing Arthur Peter Mutharika are not by accident, but by design. The plot is aimed at fooling Malawians over the condition of the former Head of State.
An iVerify Malawi fact-check, run by the respected Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA), has exposed a disturbing pattern of deceit orchestrated by party spokesperson Shadric Namalomba, who is also Mutharika’s mouth piece.
After the DPP paid the nomination fees for Mutharika, Namalomba announced through a radio interview that the party leader has also collected the nomination papers.
However, he changed his statement later after MEC released a statement that revealed that the party has not collected the papers yet.
iVerify reports that it approached Namalomba to clarify the issue and in his new lies he said the nomination papers were not collected because MEC offices were closed.
This was despite MEC remaining open all weekend.
iVerify reached out to MEC Communications Officer Richard Mveriwa, who confirmed that “Professor Mutharika paid the nomination fee, but did not collect the papers.”
However, Mveriwa told iVerify that MEC offices across the country, including the headquarters in Lilongwe, were open throughout the weekend.
Mveriwa added that paying fees without collecting the forms is common and entirely legal “nothing unusual about it.”
iVerify concluded that Namalomba’s repeated claims and lies were meant to mislead and fool Malawians.
MEC has since confirmed that DPP collected the nomination papers for Mutharika on Monday June 16 along National Development Party (NDP) candidate Frank Tumpale Mwenifumbo bringing the number of presidential aspirants to 10.
The two joins Malawi Congress Party (MCP) candidate and the incumbent Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera; Atupele Austin Muluzi of United Democratic Front (UDF); Joyce Banda representing People’s Party (PP); Kondwani Nankhumwa for Peoples Development Party (PDP); Akwame Bandawe of Anyamata, Atsikana, Azimayi (AAA); Independents Milward Tobias; Adil James Chilungo; and Reverend Hardwick Kaliya.
WHAT THE PANGOLIN SAYS:
The DPP’s denials and false assertions undermine public trust. If a major party cannot be honest about a mechanical task like submitting forms, what can Malawians trust them with?
Now, with the official nomination window closing July 5, every hour matters. Blaming imaginary closures of offices or fooling Malawians that the nomination papers have been collected serves no purpose apart from delaying visibility into Mutharika’s readiness to contest in September and discredits the DPP’s campaign narrative.
Other major contenders including President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, Joyce Banda, Atupele Muluzi, Dalitso Kabambe, and Kondwani Nankhumwa, have all collected their forms and signaled cohesion and intent. The DPP alone is floundering in confusion.
This incident and the persistent lies reinforce a troubling narrative: the DPP is increasingly reliant on misleading statements rather than transparent communication. Earlier claims about APM’s whereabouts and health like denials of his South Africa hospitalization, have already been debunked .
Now, with tangible documents from MEC contradicting Namalomba’s comments, the DPP risks being seen as a party more skilled in deception than democratic engagement.
Instead of admitting the problem within its own ranks, DPP leaders deflect blame onto a neutral institution, MEC.
Conflicting statements from Namalomba, and earlier from Secretary-General Peter Mukhito, reflect a broader effort to manufacture plausible deniability, at Malawians’ expense.
Now the question: If the candidate or the DPP truly banked the fee but failed to collect paperwork, why? Is it a strategic delay, health-related limitation, or a sign of deeper organizational failure?
MEC’s swift weekend announcement reveals its commitment to the integrity of the process. By maintaining open offices and clarifying the rules, it neutralised DPP’s false narrative. That transparency serves as a stark contrast to DPP’s evasive maneuvers.
Broader Implications Ahead
DPP’s actions threaten electoral fairness. Deception around mere nomination forms may signal a willingness to employ other unscrupulous tactics, like vote tampering or misinformation.
Secondly, public perception on DPP is also at risk. Voters are growing disillusioned with parties that seem more interested in spinning their image than building trust.
Now, while rivals continue active campaigns and preparations, DPP’s silent confusion may cripple its momentum going into September.
This iVerify revelation is more than a footnote, it’s a symptom of deeper governance rot within the DPP, from dodging health transparency to deploying lies to delay democratic processes. As the nomination deadline nears, Malawi is watching closely.
If the DPP cannot clean up its act, even when a simple form is at stake, can it be trusted with the future of the nation?
