The country’s two vice-presidents have recently been hogging the limelight for unenviable reasons.
First Vice-President Jane Ansah was away to the UK on a private visit for close to three weeks. Coincidentally, her husband who lives in the UK, turned 80 on January 3 2026 and it was widely publicised on social media that she went to the UK to join in the birthday celebrations.
Initially, her office announced she would return home on January 10 2026. But she only came back to Malawi on January 15 2026.
While she was away, disasters struck the country. Heavy rains destroyed road infrastructure, houses, crop fields, and other property leaving thousands in need of assistance. As if just by coincidence, on January 10 2026, the day Ansah was earlier expected to return to Malawi, President Peter Mutharika (APM) moved the Department of Disaster Management Affairs (DoDMA) which was one of her delegated duties, to the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC). Tongues were wagging. Was APM angry with her absence at a most critical time she was supposed to be on the ground leading from the front in planning and directing the affairs of the troubled DoDMA? Maybe, maybe not. That passed. Ansah returned to the country on January 15.
But before I forget, the First VP’s UK trip was mired in contradictory communications about how it was approved and funded. While Minister of Information and Communication Technology Shadric Namalomba had announced that APM had approved the trip with a reduced delegation, a State House social media post quoted APM as having stated that Ansah would use personal resources on the trip.
Then as if the relocation of DoDMA from her office was not enough, on January 23 2026, OPC stated that the Department of Public Sector Reforms Management had also been removed from the VP office to the OPC. Just like for the relocation of the DoDMA, no official explanation was proffered for this decision.
The two issues are reminiscent of how former president Lazarus Chakwera stripped his deputy, the late Saulos Chilima, of all his delegated powers on June 22 2022. This was after the latter was named in a $150 million corruption scandal involving government contracts. After that incident, the relationship between Chakwera and Chilima never fully returned to normalcy.
Of course, Ansah has responded to the issue. Last Saturday, during the installation of a new chief for her Nyaka Jobe Village in Lilongwe, she said she could not question the President on his decisions because her functions are delegated.
Well, what could she say better? The best is for her to take note that the President has noted that her office is not the best suited to manage the two departments.
At the minimum, we could say, this is a vote of no confidence in her. The decisions reflect badly on her. More tongues are wagging. Is this the beginning of the worst that is to come, or maybe not? That is about the VP. Time will tell.
Earlier this week, the Chief Secretary Justin Saidi issued a press statement which was a direct condemnation of the Second Vice-President Enoch Chihana’s tribal and derogatory remarks the latter made the previous week.
Chihana is captured in a video, which has gone viral on social media, where he is spewing salvos on the Chewa while also celebrating that government had denied certain citizens Farm Inputs Subsidy Programme resources.
Such remarks would have passed unnoticed during the campaign period. But we are four long months passed September 16 2025 when a new government was ushered in. So anything government officials say that puts it in bad light is spotlighted.
For Chihana’s information, all Malawians are entitled to fair and equal access to relief assistance and the Fisp materials, regardless of political affiliation. Chihana should learn to zip his mouth when he has nothing sensible to say. There are things the DPP politburo may have agreed in Cabinet, but may not be for public consumption. Such things are better kept under wraps. Chihana is not in competition with anyone for the accolade of being the loudest and most vocal in taunting the opposition. He could be digging his own grave.
All in all, from the foregoing, we can conclude that so far, some developments in the offices of the two Vice-Presidents do not complement the Presidency.
