The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) has asked the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties to enforce sanctions against President Lazarus Chakwera and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) for alleged voter-buying ahead of the September 16 General Election.
The bone of contention is money the party has allegedly been giving teachers, youths, traditional leaders and vendors at State residences where Chakwera has been meeting them in recent weeks. They were also receiving an MCP cloth.
Our sister paper The Nation reported on July 16 2025 that those who attended the meetings received a minimum of K50 000 each as transport refund or meal allowances despite being ferried in hired buses.
However, government has denied that the money constitutes handouts.
But in a letter dated July 17 2025 Nation on Sunday has seen, DPP secretary general (SG) Peter Mukhito has asked the Registrar of Political Parties Kizito Tenthani to conduct an immediate investigation and take regulatory measures to stop the meetings.
The DPP SG argued that the funds distribution is a violation of Section 41 of the Political Parties Act (2018).
Section 41 (1) of the Political Parties Act prohibits any candidate, political party or person contesting in an election from issuing handouts.
Section 41 (3) of the Act states that a person who contravenes Sub-section 1 of the Act commits an offence and shall, upon conviction, be liable to a fine of K10 million and imprisonment for five years.
It also defines handouts as transactions whereby political parties, bodies, candidates or any other person distribute private goods, cash, gifts and other items to a person as an enticement to vote for the political party or candidate.
But campaign materials, facilitation of political party meetings or activities such as transport refunds for candidates’ entourage, meals for entourage or entertainment and unpublicised religious obligations and offerings do not constitute handouts.
Mukhito said: “This unethical practice is happening under the guise of presidential outreach, with individuals, particularly the youth, chiefs and teachers, being transported in, at times, State−owned vehicles, to State residences in Lilongwe, Sanjika−Blantyre, Mzuzu and Chikoko Bay−Mangochi.
“It is evident these disbursements are a deliberate attempt to manipulate voters during a time of economic hardship, thereby undermining the principles of democratic fairness and electoral integrity.”
He has asked Tenthani and the Anti−Corruption Bureau to investigate the source and legality of the K50 000 disbursements.
Mukhito further asked the Political Parties Registrar to issue a public statement to affirm his office’s commitment to upholding the Political Parties Act and discourage any form of vote−buying or electoral fraud.
“The DPP firmly believes the behaviour of the MCP’s presidential candidate, who has been and has now distributed handouts during the designated campaign period, is not only against the law, but also morally wrong,” he said.
“It is a sly and deceitful tactic that undermines the integrity of our political system and goes against the values of a fair and just election.”
Tenthani said yesterday his office has not officially received the letter despite seeing it on various social media platforms.
He added that a senior DPP official last week asked him for a complaints form which is yet to be returned.
When asked if the President’s cash disbursements constitute a handout, Tenthani said his office would need to understand the context of the distribution.
But Minister of Information and Digitilisation Moses Kunkuyu on Thursday justified Chakwera’s gesture and said the resources were part of State residences allocation.
In the 2025/26 National Budget, State residences were allocated K67 billion.
Kunkuyu, who is the official government spokesperson, said the President had done nothing wrong because the money was a transport refund.
He said: “There has never been anything wrong in our history with a traditional leader, a teacher, a CSO [civil society organisation] leader or a media practitioner being offered a drink, a meal or a transport refund after visiting their President.
“The presidency has always been provided with resources for visitors since time immemorial. What should be surprising is why other Presidents never opened the State House for Malawians.”
In separate interviews published in The Nation of July 17 2025, some teachers, traditional leaders, vendors and youths confirmed to have received varying amounts from K50 000 to K400 000 each.
“The President was just enlightening us on the consequences of changing the current administration [in the September 16 2025 General Election]. He said any change will affect projects being implemented,” said Tadala Kachingwe—a youth who attended one of the meetings on Wednesday last week.
