BLANTYRE-(MaraviPost)-UTM president Dalitso Kabambe has asked Vice President Jane Ansah to provide an update on President Arthur Peter Mutharika’s wellbeing and current status, as well as the government’s response to the challenges facing the country.
In a letter addressed to the Vice President, Kabambe sought clarification on whether she spoke to the President before his departure and whether the two have been communicating since then.
He has also asked whether Ansah is receiving updates from the Chief Secretary on government business and whether Cabinet is meeting to discuss the country’s challenges and develop practical solutions.
“Given the serious challenges facing Malawi, could you please advise whether Cabinet is meeting to consider these matters and develop practical solutions?” says Kabambe.
He says a clear and timely update will help reassure Malawians and strengthen public confidence in the country’s leadership.
Kabambe says is raising the questions respectfully and out of concern for the country’s wellbeing, while acknowledging the demands of the Vice President’s office.
He has further appealed to Ansah to share any information she can provide regarding the matters raised in his letter.
His concerns come amid growing public debate over Mutharika’s prolonged absence from Malawi, with opposition figures questioning the visibility of the country’s leadership as citizens face fuel shortages, electricity supply problems and other economic challenges.
Mutharika left Malawi for South Africa on October 6, 2026, on what the government described as a private trip.
On October 23, Information and Communications Technology Minister Shadric Namalomba said the President is in good health and enjoying his stay in South Africa.
Namalomba acknowledged that the trip has taken longer than usual, creating room for speculation, but assured the public that Malawians has no cause for concern.
The government spokesperson did not specify when the President will return, saying he will come back when the time is right.
On Sunday, October 25, DPP Secretary General Peter Mukhito also dismissed reports that Mutharika is hospitalised or bedridden.
Mukhito said he personally met the President in South Africa on Friday, October 23, for more than an hour and described him as cheerful, vibrant and in good health.
He maintained that Mutharika continues to discharge his constitutional responsibilities despite being physically outside Malawi.
Mukhito further argued that a President’s absence from the country does not automatically mean that a leadership vacuum exist, noting that modern communication technology allows consultations and government decisions to be conducted remotely.
In a related development, the main opposition Malawi Congress Party called on Ansah to address the nation over the President’s absence and the challenges facing the country.
However, legal and governance experts have offered differing views on whether the President’s absence automatically requires the Vice-President to assume additional responsibilities or address the public.
chairperson of the National Advocacy Platform(NAP), Benedicto Kondowe,argued that the President’s private travel does not automatically create a leadership vacuum or transfer presidential powers to the Vice-President.
Kondowe cited Sections 79 and 92(3) of the Constitution, which outline the Vice-President’s role and provide for her to preside over Cabinet meetings during the President’s temporary absence.
He said the Constitution also provides procedures for determining presidential incapacity, meaning that physical absence from the country alone does not automatically establish that the President is unable to perform his duties.
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