Malawians head to the ballot box on Tuesday with one of the most consequential decisions since the dawn of multiparty democracy in 1994. It is not just about choosing between the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) of President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and many of the opposition candidates who include Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of Arthur Peter Mutharika.
It is a referendum on accountability versus impunity, renewal versus recycling, and dignity versus disgrace.
The leaked list of a probable DPP “cabinet-in-waiting” has added urgency to this decision. Far from inspiring confidence, the line-up resembles a rogues’ gallery of individuals whose names are synonymous with corruption, abuse of office, plunder, and repression.
Malawians must ask: if we vote for this, what are we really signing up for?
The proposed DPP cabinet reads less like a team of national builders and more like a charge sheet. The names are not new, they are recycled figures tied to the darkest chapters of the DPP era from 2014 to 2020.
Let us critically look at the top names and see what Malawians will actually be voting for if a ballot is cast in favour of the old man Mutharika.
Peter Mutharika
- It is already doubtful whether APM will be in control of state affairs. Signs are there that Norman Chisale, Gertrude Mutharika and other thugs closer to them will be the real rulers. His past administration was synonymous with lethargy, nepotism, and capture by cronies.
- This is a man, who was not as old then, let his Taxpayer Identification Number (TPIN) be used for dubiously importing 1.2 million bags of cement duty-free, valued at K5 billion, under claims of presidential privilege or use.
- Himself is tainted from benefiting from the K145 million police food rations scandal, which saw businessmen pay kickbacks through bank accounts linked to him.
Jane Ansah
- The controversial former Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) chair, presided over the 2019 elections marred by the infamous “Tipp-ex” scandal, systematic procedural failures, and lack of transparency. Her refusal to resign despite nationwide protests triggered violent demonstrations and a constitutional crisis.
- To date, she has not shown remorse on her activities during the 2019 elections instead she has been going around disparaging the constitutional court decision insisting that the nullified election was won by Mutharika and that the courts misinterpreted law.
- She lost primaries in Ntcheu North West constituency. Despite unresolved legalities, she pushed herself through by the aid of her close cronies to still represent the constituency.
Norman Chisale
Chisale is under multiple legal clouds and has been involved in a number of scandals:
- Mutharika’s bodyguard-turned-enforcer, faces multiple charges including attempted murder, fraud, and money laundering.
- Cement importation case, for having enabled duty-free import under Mutharika’s TPIN, and misuse.
- He is accused of impersonation (presenting a stolen JCE certificate) to secure recruitment into the Malawi Defence Force.
- He is under scrutiny and now in court for unexplained accumulation of assets worth billions. He is said to have 84 vehicles and several properties now under asset seizure/forfeiture by the State.
- His name evokes fear, linked to violent crackdowns on dissent. He is linked to the brutal murder of ACB top official late Issa Njauju whose body was found buried closer to Lilongwe Palace.
Peter Mukhito
- Central in the cement-gate scandal too as Director General of State Residences during Mutharika’s administration, he is alleged to have signed correspondence supporting the duty-free clearance of cement through MRA.
- While at the Malawi Police Service as Inspector General, he presided over and ordered the killing of 20 Malawians during national protests against the DPP rule and was also the instigator of the Academic Freedom protests.
- He is also among those under scrutiny for unexplained accumulation of assets worth billions. He is said to have multiple high-end vehicles and several properties across the country.
Alfred Gangata
- He is charged with using a Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) obtained illegally, having someone else sit exams on his behalf.
- Charged with forgery, tax fraud by falsifying records, uttering false documents, concluding a transaction without proper tax clearance certificate.
Joseph Mwanamveka
- As Finance Minister under DPP (2018-2020), being accused of financial misreporting to the International Monetary Fund (IMF). He was arrested and the case still in court.
- Also arrested (with others) in connection with alleged misappropriation through the Salima Sugar Company, Greenbelt Initiative and others.
- He was also central to the fraudulent sale of Malawi Savings Bank and Inde Bank in which Malawi Government lost billions of kwacha’s mostly in assets.
Collins Magalasi
- He is in court for using MK10.5 million from MERA to pay for accommodation for DPP delegates at the 2018 party convention.
- Was at one time arrested in connection with fuel import scandals.
- Magalasi’s appointment as MERA CEO was scrutinized by the Ombudsman who determined it “illegal, unprocedural”.
- He has multiple other allegations of abuse in procurement, awarding contracts improperly.
Gertrude Mutharika
- The former First Lady, became synonymous with extravagance, questionable procurement deals and a bloated State House budget.
- Used more than MK80 million for a holiday in the UK at the time Malawi was facing a worst hunger crisis leading to an incensed British Government freezing part of its aid to Malawi.
- At the centre of Gertrude’s looting of state entities was Beautify Malawi Trust (BEAM) which she to collect by force millions of kwacha from public institutions (ministries and parastatals) for various dubious activities.
- Through the Trust, she obtained K5 million from the National AIDS Commission (NAC) for its launch.
- Through BEAM she was awarded a garbage collection contract by Blantyre City Council, with BEAM “leasing out” two trucks (donated to Malawi Government by China) as refuse collection vehicles to BCC at K60,000/day each.
- Gertrude Mutharika owns multiple houses and flats in high-end areas of Lilongwe and Blantyre, some in her name, others in her son’s name.
Put together, this line-up is less a shadow cabinet than what many Malawians have dubbed it: a “Cabinet of Suspects.”
At its core, this election is about whether Malawians want leaders who are answerable to the people, or leaders who see the state as a personal ATM.
MCP’s messaging has centered on accountability reforms, transparency in procurement, and strengthening institutions. By contrast, the DPP’s list is stacked with individuals who have ongoing court cases or unresolved scandals.
Now, Malawians fought long and hard for democracy in 1993–94. They did not do so to keep recycling discredited elites. The DPP offers no new faces, no new ideas, just a recycling of the same individuals who presided over economic decline, deepened inequality, and institutionalized corruption.
How can a nation hope to command dignity on the international stage if its leadership team is a byword for fraud and violence? The leaked DPP line-up would saddle Malawi with ministers constantly distracted by court appearances, scandal headlines, and credibility crises.
Chakwera’s government, whatever its shortcomings, has worked to restore Malawi’s global image.
Voting for the DPP means forgiving and forgetting crimes that remain fresh in the public mind. From Chisale’s assault cases, to Magalasi’s corruption scandals, to Jane Ansah’s electoral disgrace, these are not ancient history. They are live wounds. Do Malawians want to entrust their future to the very people who tried to rob them of their vote in 2019?
If we are to be honestly true to ourselves even the UTM, minus Dr. Dalitso Kabambe whose past is as good as most of the DPP thugs, would offer Malawians a better option than this 86-year old man’s team of mafias and looters.
The annulment of the 2019 elections and the subsequent court-ordered fresh election of 2020 were defining moments for Malawi. They reaffirmed that power belongs to the people, not to riggers or looters of public resources. It was a civic rebuke to arrogance and abuse of power.
Yet today, the same cast of characters who dragged Malawi through that crisis are back, repackaged as a government-in-waiting. Their return would not just be a setback; it would be a betrayal of the sacrifices Malawians made in defending democracy.
President Chakwera’s MCP has not been without criticism, yet when it comes to governance, MCP has delivered on several fronts.
So the real question is what will Malawians really be voting when the cast their vote for the frail and sick Mutharika who by now every Malawian knows will not even be in-charge of state affairs.
This election is not merely about parties and personalities. It is about whether Malawians are willing to entrust their destiny to a “Cabinet of Suspects” whose records speak louder than their promises.
Let the Pangolin Poke Your Memory
Elections are about memory as much as they are about hope. Malawians must remember the abductions and killings of persons with albinism under DPP’s watch, the corruption scandals that drained hospitals of medicines, and the arrogance of leaders who mocked citizens calling for Ansah’s resignation.
To forget is to invite repetition. To remember is to protect democracy.
As Tuesday approaches, Malawians stand at a fork in the road. On one path lies accountability, renewal, and the chance to build on hard-won democratic gains. On the other lies impunity, recycling, and the disgrace of being ruled by a cabinet whose members are better condemned to jail for life rather than sent to State House..
The stakes are high.
