Police in Ntcheu have arrested a teacher at Mbanira Secondary School, identified as Glyton Maganizo, after he was caught with large sums of cash intended for bribing teachers serving as presiding officers to support a vote rigging plot by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) in Tuesday’s elections.
Maganizo has so far disclosed to the police that he was acting on instructions from Norman Chisale, an aid and close ally of party leader and candidate Arthur Peter Mutharika.
Police have since launched a manhunt for Chisale, who has also been repeatedly linked to reports of a broader DPP strategy to destabilize the electoral process.
According to police reports, Maganizo was found distributing K300,000 each to fellow teachers assigned as polling staff in the district. He is said to have been working in four groups that were dispatched to different schools where voting will take place.
The scandal does not end in Ntcheu.
In Mulanje, reports have also emerged that Sameer Suleman, an aspiring DPP Member of Parliament, was involved in a similar plot. He allegedly held a secret meeting with teachers at a lodge owned by Shadreck Namalomba, the party’s spokesperson. He was also distributing huge sums of money meant to be distributed to presiding officers across Mulanje and Phalombe.
Police are now also pursuing Suleman in connection with the case.
This latest development comes amid growing concerns that the DPP has been plotting to unleash violence after election day, particularly if it becomes evident that Mutharika is losing in the polls.
Senior government officials and security sources have warned that a DPP taskforce has been mobilizing resources and operatives to sow chaos during the counting and tallying process.
In recent weeks, civil society and political analysts have cautioned that the opposition party appears to be leaning on intimidation, bribery, and sabotage rather than popular support, as confidence in Mutharika’s candidacy continues to weaken due to his health concerns, Jane Ansah’s controversial nomination as running mate, and poor internal organization of the campaign.
Police spokespersons have assured the public that law enforcement agencies are on high alert to prevent electoral malpractice and violence.
“We are following all credible leads, and no one is above the law. Those who are plotting to undermine the elections will face justice,” one senior officer in Lilongwe said.
The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has yet to issue an official statement on the arrests, but the unfolding scandal adds to a tense political atmosphere less than 48 hours before Malawians head to the polls.
If confirmed, the use of teachers and presiding officers as conduits for bribery would mark a direct attack on the integrity of the voting process, raising fears of systematic efforts by the DPP to subvert the will of the people.
