BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-It has emerged that the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP)’s nominee for the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) commissioners, Mackford Somanje, submitted a questionable academic qualification.
A letter from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), dated July 8, 2025, states that Somanje’s purported Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree from the University of South Africa (UNISA) is not recognized and was never issued by the institution.
The Office of the President and Cabinet(OPC ) had requested NCHE to verify the academic credentials of Somanje as part of the formal vetting process.
In response, NCHE Chief Executive Officer(CEO ),Ambumulire N. Iimu Phiri, addressed a formal letter to Legal Advisor Dr. Chisazo Nyirongo, stating that the qualification in question was not valid.
According to the NCHE, the Council contacted UNISA and was informed that Mackford Somanje was never registered for any academic program at the university.
Although a student number was created on December 17, 2004, Somanje did not enroll or undertake any coursework.
Additionally, discrepancies were found in the wording, font, and design of the submitted certificate, which did not match authentic 1994 UNISA certificates.
The NCHE highlighted its responsibility, under the NCHE Act No. 15 of 2011, to assess, evaluate, and recognize qualifications from both local and international institutions.
It reiterated that only qualifications awarded by duly accredited institutions are recognized, and confirmed that Somanje’s alleged degree fails to meet these criteria.
This revelation casts doubt on the nomination process and raises serious concerns regarding the due diligence undertaken in appointing individuals to high-level public positions.
However,the OPC is expected to take appropriate action in light of the findings.
