Where is Mutharika? Malawi demands answers as President extends South Africa stay

Where is Mutharika? Malawi demands answers as President extends South Africa stay - Malawi President Arthur Peter Mutharika has cancelled government-funded Independence Day celebrations, calling for prayers for economic recovery and protection from El Niño.( Malawi Government X/)

The 86-year-old leader left Malawi on October 6 for what officials describe as a "private visit."

Malawi’s opposition is demanding to know who is running the country as President Peter Mutharika enters his third week in South Africa, leaving the nation grappling with a severe economic crisis without a clear timeline for his return.

The 86-year-old leader left Malawi on October 6 for what officials describe as a "private visit." It is his fifth trip to South Africa this year. With no public itinerary and no date set for his return, the prolonged absence is fueling intense political scrutiny.

Malawi is currently facing a punishing combination of fuel shortages, frequent electricity blackouts, a scarcity of essential medicines, and a severe foreign currency crunch. The opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) says the President's absence has left a void.

"Malawi is at a critical moment, and there is a need for decisive action," the MCP said in a statement.

On Thursday, MCP campaign director Moses Kunkuyu told journalists in Lilongwe that the opposition was not questioning Mutharika’s right to travel, but rather the lack of reassurance to the public. He called on Vice-President Jane Ansah to address the nation over the mounting challenges.

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"The issue is not that the president has travelled," Kunkuyu said. "The issue is that people are suffering and want reassurance that somebody is in charge."

The President's absence was so prolonged that he delegated the trade minister to lead Malawi’s delegation to the COMESA summit in Zimbabwe this week, rather than attending himself.

Information Minister Shadric Namalomba has fiercely denied that the President’s absence has created a leadership vacuum, insisting that Mutharika remains firmly in control.

"A state president is always in charge at any time, anywhere," Namalomba told local media. When pressed on the purpose of the trip, he was curt: "A private trip is private."

Namalomba accused the opposition of exploiting the country's problems—which he claimed were inherited from the previous administration of Lazarus Chakwera.

"That is why Malawians voted us into government, not them. May I request them to seal their mouths as we address the problems they miserably created and failed to solve," he added.

Mutharika, who previously governed from 2014 to 2020 and returned to power last October, is no stranger to frequent travel.