On Friday, July 25, 2025, at the Bingu International Convention Centre (BICC), Malawians were treated to what should have been a pivotal political moment; presentation of nomination papers by former President Arthur Peter Mutharika.
This was a moment that meant to mark a triumphant, grand and momentous entry into the political campaign fray for the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) leader.
Instead, what unfolded was a public exhibition of human fragility, political manipulation, and a party dangerously disconnected from reality.
APM, now 86, appeared before the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) to present his nomination papers as the DPP presidential candidate for the September 16 polls. However, the moment—if not chilling — raised questions about his physical fitness, cognitive awareness, and moral justification to re-contest.
To be blunt. What Malawians saw on that stage was not a presidential candidate prepared for the rigours of a nationwide campaign. They saw a man who is visibly sick, extremely frail, and struggling with even the most basic demands of public performance.
And it was clear that behind that man is a coterie of selfish political actors forcing him forward like a puppet in a theatre of deception.
From the moment he entered the BICC auditorium, APM’s condition was evident. He bypassed the stairs and instead used the disability ramp, a subtle but telling admission of his limited mobility.
While that alone may not disqualify anyone from seeking office, it was a foreshadowing of the sequence of physical struggles to follow.
The signs of strain compounded when APM began speaking. Barely into his prepared remarks, he paused, visibly uncomfortable, and called for a glass of water.
After the speech, his table was stacked with bottles of mineral water, a sign, perhaps, that those close to him knew in advance that he would require hydration just to get through a short speech.
Whenever he stood, aides hovered more closely, their body language resembling that of paramedics anticipating collapse and ready for action.
Most damning, however, was the microphone struggle. When it shifted slightly out of place, Mutharika made several slow and stiff attempts to reposition it. His hand movements were weak and uncoordinated, and for the rest of his speech, the microphone was never properly aligned to his voice.
His words faded in and out as he slouched, gestured minimally, and at some moments appeared completely drained.
As journalists attempted to ask him questions, it was another display of a struggling man.
The elderly politician leaned in awkwardly, clearly unable to pick the questions. At one point, he asked the journalist to move to a different position so he could hear better.
Still struggling, he turned to his running mate, Jane Ansah, and asked her to repeat the question. This was no minor moment. This was a deeply uncomfortable indicator of an acute hearing problem, and perhaps more.
How can such a man command the stage at mass rallies? How will he project energy, vision, and strength across 28 districts in under two months?
It is becoming increasingly clear that the DPP leadership, especially the shadowy Ntcheu cabal led by Norman Chisale, is deliberately ignoring Mutharika’s condition for their own selfish ends. What Malawians witnessed was not a confident, rejuvenated statesman, but a sick old man being dragged into a fight that is no longer his to wage.
Throughout the ceremony, APM often looked tired and, according to those seated nearby, even dozed off at intervals. His facial expressions alternated between confusion and blankness. When he did speak, it was mostly slow, strained, and marked by long pauses that bordered on exhaustion.
The ceremony wasn’t energetic. It wasn’t inspiring. It felt staged, orchestrated by handlers and powerbrokers who have everything to gain from his name and nothing to lose from his failure.
Notably, his supposed political lieutenants—Vice President for the South Joseph Mwanamvekha, Vice for the East Bright Msaka, for the North Jappie Mhango and Ben Phiri—all appeared detached from the proceedings.
Their posture, body language, and facial expressions gave away a sense of disinterest and disillusionment. These are men who had ambitions of leading the party but were shoved aside in favour of this elderly returnee. Now, they sit back quietly, perhaps waiting for collapse.
Outside the venue, yes, a few dozen supporters sang praises of Mutharika, waving banners and donning blue. But inside, the party’s top brass minus Chisale—the most active player of the day—kept a noticeable distance from the spectacle.
Even former First Lady Gertrude Mutharika looked like a hostage of political theatre rather than a supportive spouse of a man poised to campaign for the highest office in the land.
Jane Ansah, the chosen running mate, sat closely beside APM, whispering “translations”, repeating questions, and clearly acting as a caregiver more than a political partner. Her own political credentials are thin at best. She lacks charisma, mass appeal, and her previous public outings have demonstrated that she is not an engaging speaker.
Ansah is yet to prove that she can hold a rally on her own, handle a press grilling, or inspire confidence in undecided voters. She may have been picked to give Mutharika a legalistic veneer and gender optics, but she does not bring the firepower that a running mate is supposed to bring during a campaign season.
Together, APM and Ansah project fragility, aloofness, and political awkwardness, not dynamism or rebirth.
It is telling that as of now, the DPP has not yet launched a campaign manifesto. The DPP has chosen instead to distribute blurred pictures of APM meeting diplomats, walking slowly in blue suits, or holding birthday cake ceremonies in private homes.
One week after the official launch of the campaign season, Mutharika has not held a single rally. No televised interviews. No agenda-setting press briefings. No declaration of intent beyond, “I have been asked to contest again.”
If anything, it feels like the DPP is gaslighting Malawians, trying to convince a nation that a frail, disoriented, and visibly unwell man is ready to lead a country. It’s a tragic joke.
All roads in this scheme lead to Norman Chisale, the former presidential bodyguard turned billionaire political puppeteer. Chisale has long controlled APM’s access, speechwriting, finances, and now apparently his calendar.
The way Mutharika was stage-managed at BICC, from the ramp entrance to the sitting arrangement, bore Chisale’s logistical fingerprints.
It appears that Chisale’s plan is to keep Mutharika in motion just long enough to win, and then engineer either a retirement, a medical resignation, or a managed presidency behind the curtains.
This explains the frantic power plays within the DPP, including the sidelining of veterans, the centrality of Gertrude Mutharika in this campaign, and the mysterious absence of senior strategists from party events.
In truth, what we saw at BICC was less about APM and more about Chisale’s ambition.
Malawians are not blind. The electorate has eyes. The pictures, videos, and interviews are public record. No amount of camera filters, blue regalia, or praise songs can hide the fact that Arthur Peter Mutharika is not well.
He cannot hear clearly.
He cannot speak for more than 10 minutes.
He struggles to walk, to move microphones, to answer basic questions.
He is not physically or mentally prepared to endure a two-month nationwide campaign, let alone a five-year term in office.
The DPP must be honest with itself. If its best strategy for returning to power is hiding behind a sick man who should be resting with dignity, then perhaps it has nothing new to offer Malawi.
It is no longer just about politics. It is about decency. About leadership. About responsibility.
Malawi deserves a campaign, not a charade.
Malawi deserves ideas, not ghost rallies.
Malawi deserves a future, not a past struggling to stay awake.
