Malawi Police Service (MPS) yesterday arrested Malawi Congress Party (MCP) running mate in the September 16 General Election, Vitumbiko Mumba and MCP secretary general Richard Chimwendo Banda.
The party has since described the arrests as political persecution by the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration.
Mumba was arrested at his residence in Area 47 in Lilongwe in the morning while Chimwendo was arrested when he surrendered himself at National Police Headquarters, Area 30, in the same Capital, Lilongwe.
National Police spokesperson Lael Chimtembo confirmed the arrests of the two in separate incidences but could not give details.
Chimtembo said since investigations are ongoing on the two separate cases, police will issue a statement that would outline the charges levelled against the two.
“I can confirm about their arrests but for now, this is the only information I can give. Investigations are ongoing and giving further information would jeopardise the process,” said Chimtembo.
At Lingadzi Police Station, Mumba was seen wearing a grey golf-shirt. He looked composed and called for calm from relatives and sympathisers that came to cheer him up.
In an interview outside the police premises, Mumba’s lawyer Khumbo Soko said his client was arrested in connection with remarks he made days after the September 16 elections.
Soko, however, said he expects that police will tell them the specifics of the case when they take their client to court, probably on Monday.
“For now, we can only speculate the charges. They will have the chance to tell the court and the accused person the reasons for his arrest. They are obliged to take him to court after 48 hours or before the expiry of 48 hours.
“As it is, 48 hours will expire on Sunday, so being a day that the courts do not sit, they will be obliged to take him to court first thing on Monday. At the moment, I don’t have a charge sheet. We will learn more about the particulars of this case on Monday, when they take him to court,” said Soko.
In a separate interview, lawyer representing Chimwendo Banda, Khwima Mchizi, said his client is also yet to be formally charged.
Mchizi said he expects the State to formally charge his client and it is only then that they will comment on the matter.
Meanwhile, MCP deputy publicity secretary Ken Msonda, who was among those that went to Lingadzi Police to cheer Mumba, said the arrests are only political persecution by the DPP administration.
Msonda said government should concentrate on delivering what they promised Malawians, and not intimidating others.
“The path DPP administration has taken will lead them nowhere. It’s very sad and unfortunate. Malawians are waiting for development, not arrests. Since most of these issues are in court, we will not comment much,” said Msonda.
According to a search warrant we have seen, Mumba and party spokesperson Jessie Kabwila are under investigation allegedly for the publication of false news likely to cause fear and alarm to the public.
The affidavit, sworn by Superintendent Isaac Mndala of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID), alleges that in September 2025, the duo conducted a press briefing titled ‘We have got it’ which referred to an alleged fraud by the DPP ahead of the polls.
The document states that media houses recorded the event and that investigators believe the footage is held by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority.
The warrant was granted to obtain the recordings as potential evidence.
Details of Chimwendo’s arrests were sketchy.
On December 3 2025 police arrested former secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba at Kamuzu International Airport as she prepared to travel to Geneva, Switzerland for her child’s graduation. She spent two nights in police custody and was granted bail on December 5 after being charged with abuse of office.
