As voting began this morning across Malawi, a web of desperation and deception started to unravel around the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
What initially appeared to be isolated incidents of “found” already-marked ballot papers in Blantyre and Phalombe has now been traced to a carefully orchestrated scheme allegedly masterminded by Norman Chisale, former bodyguard to ex-president Arthur Peter Mutharika, and Ben Phiri, the DPP campaign director.
At Mpata Primary School in Machinjiri, Blantyre, and at another centre in Phalombe, reports emerged that ballots pre-marked in favour of the ruling MCP and President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera had been discovered.
While the discoveries sparked immediate outrage and confusion, investigations by The Pangolin Online reveal that these incidents are not the result of government malpractice, but rather the handwork of DPP operatives executing a high-stakes plan to destabilize the polls.
According to insiders, the strategy is simple but explosive. Infiltrate sensitive voting areas in the southern region, particularly the Lhomwe belt, plant ballot papers pre-marked for Chakwera, and then “discover” them in dramatic fashion.
The goal is to create the impression of systematic rigging by the MCP, thereby inflaming voter anger in DPP strongholds and triggering widespread protests and riots.
“It is not by accident that they have been uncovered. It is a well-planned move, with people strategically moved in to infiltrate the voting system and later the same people uncover the alleged marked ballots,” a whistleblower close to the DPP taskforce revealed.
The logic behind this plan unravels upon closer inspection. As one political strategy analyst observed: “How would you expect the MCP, if it really wanted to rig the elections, to do that in Blantyre or Phalombe of all places?”
He added: “If this was indeed MCP, it could have made sense if these already marked ballot papers were in some districts in the central region. I don’t think MCP could be that stupid to play those games in the southern region.”
The analyst said what is even not making much sense is that the southern region is already fragmented as there are more than seven presidential candidates, a scenario that already makes it difficult for the DPP.
This revelation fits neatly into the wider picture of the DPP’s campaign, which has increasingly relied on intimidation, violence, and fear-mongering rather than policy or popular appeal.
Several disturbing incidents have already been linked to the party’s machinery, suggesting a systematic plan by Chisale and Phiri to poison the electoral environment and sow chaos in order to delegitimize the outcome of the September elections.
The desperation driving these tactics is not hard to understand.
DPP, under the visibly frail APM and his deeply unpopular running mate Jane Ansah, faces an uphill battle.
Norman Chisale, now considered the party’s de facto strongman, and Ben Phiri, the political affairs director, have resorted to manufacturing crises because they know the party cannot win on a message of credibility, competence, or accountability.
Their plan is to turn the election into a national emergency where chaos, protests, and possibly bloodshed eclipse the actual vote.
As one civil society analyst put it: “This is less about winning the election and more about destroying the legitimacy of the process itself. It’s a scorched-earth strategy, if they can’t have power, they will burn the nation to make sure no one governs in peace.”
Already, the “discovered” ballots in Blantyre and Phalombe have sparked protests. In Blantyre’s Machinjiri, angry youths poured into the streets demanding accountability, while in Phalombe, skirmishes broke out between rival groups as allegations of rigging spread.
According to insiders, more such “discoveries” are planned in volatile districts such as Mulanje, Thyolo, and Chiradzulu, where tempers already run high. The timing is designed to push communities into unrest that could spill over into national violence.
By planting ballots and staging discoveries, Chisale and Phiri hope to weaponize Malawians’ mistrust of elections.
The stakes are now higher than ever. Either Malawians will fall for the deception and slide into chaos, or the country will recognize these tactics for what they are, acts of desperation from a party unwilling to face the reality of its declining relevance.
