A solemn appeal is rising from the hills of Thyolo, where grief and love for one of Malawi’s most revered sons are clashing with the cold ambitions of politics.
The family of former President Arthur Peter Mutharika, together with senior chiefs from his home area of Goliati, have made a desperate and emotional plea: Let him rest. Let him retire. Let him live a free life out of politics.
With the clock ticking toward Malawi’s critical September elections, Mutharika family has accused top officials in the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of manipulating and holding hostage the 84-year-old statesman, ignoring his frail health, and weaponizing his legacy for their own political and selfish gains.
“He is not well. People in the DPP should let him rest,” said Karan Thom Mutharika, APM’s brother, in an exclusive and emotionally charged interview. “He is old. He is frail. He shouldn’t be dragged into another tiresome political campaign.”
Thom Mutharika’s public intervention is not only unusual; it is deeply personal. Earlier this year, Thom shocked many Malawians when he disclosed that Mutharika’s close relatives have been systematically blocked from visiting him at his Page House residence, a sprawling estate in Mangochi that has now become, in the words of the family, “a political prison wrapped in luxury.”
“At Page House, Mutharika is surrounded by strangers. No one there loves our brother. They just want to benefit from him,” said Stiveria Maliseni, Mutharika’s cousin. “We are not allowed to see him. They have shut the doors on us.”
Maliseni’s voice cracked as she added: “Our cousin isn’t well. This is not about service to country anymore. This is about using a man who is no longer strong enough to fight.”
Maliseni disclosed that their sentiments reflect the majority of Mutharika’s blood relatives as well as chiefs and elders from Goliati, the very village where Mutharika was born, raised, and buried his brother Bingu wa Mutharika.
Sources have revealed that a confidential meeting of local traditional leaders was held quietly over the weekend and resulted in an informal but unanimous consensus: Peter Mutharika must not be made to run again.
The Chiefs and other elders are worried that pushing him back into the political ring, despite visible signs of fatigue and health decline, will further damage his dignity and legacy.
The Pangolin Online reached out to some of the Chiefs mentioned by our source.
“This is not the man we used to know,” said one senior chief who spoke on condition of anonymity. “We love him. But we do not want him to die on a campaign trail while the people who pushed him continue chasing positions.”
Another Chief said: “He has done enough. Let him sleep without politics troubling his heart. If they won’t let him rest, then they don’t love him. And we, the people who raised him, will not watch silently as they destroy him.”
The concern is not hypothetical. Multiple insiders within the DPP have admitted, off the record, that Mutharika is rarely active in key meetings, often delegates duties. In more than a year, Mutharika has not travelled widely or hold a political rally.
“He’s tired. And everyone around him knows it. But they still want him on the ballot,” the insider said.
The family’s position has opened a new and explosive chapter in Malawi’s opposition politics. For months, senior DPP leaders have insisted that Mutharika is their only viable candidate. Some have even floated controversial names like businessman Alfred Gangata as a potential running mate, a clear indication that decisions are being made behind closed doors, without democratic consultation.
“It’s not out of love,” Maliseni insists. “They want to use him to get into power. That’s not leadership. That’s greed.”
The allegations raise disturbing questions: Is Peter Mutharika leading the DPP, or is he being led by it? And if so, by whom?
Political analysts say what’s unfolding is not just a family crisis, it’s a national one. A lecturer in political science at the University of Malawi, describes it as “a textbook case of legacy hijacking.”
“What we are seeing is a leader who is no longer fully in control being paraded for political optics. It’s tragic. It’s exploitative. And it’s dangerous,” she said.
Indeed, Mutharika’s public appearances have been limited and his speech delivery has grown visibly slower and more slurred. His last televised press conference ended with awkward pauses and vague statements. Behind the curtains, his aides, not the man himself, seem to be dictating the political course.
Ironically, some are pointing to history for context. In 2012, the DPP infamously tried to smuggle a dead Bingu wa Mutharika’s body out of the country under a fake name, Daniel Phiri, in a botched attempt to prevent Vice President Joyce Banda from assuming the presidency.
“They didn’t want to give up power then. And they don’t want to give it up now. Even if it means dragging Peter through hell,” said one political commentator.
The difference now is that Peter is alive but not thriving. And the people closest to him are saying enough is enough.
The public reaction to the family’s plea has been overwhelmingly sympathetic.
“He has his time in power. Let the man rest,” said Mayamiko Lumbe, a resident of Luchenza in Thyolo. “He’s not a robot. He’s our father, too. Why are they treating him like a vote-harvesting tool?”
Even some voices within the DPP are privately conceding that continuing to force Mutharika to run may end in disaster—political or human.
