PAC calls for transparency on the prolonged absence of Malawi President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika

Malawi Exclusive 

The Public Affairs Committee (PAC) has broken its silence on the prolonged absence of President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika who is currently on a private visit outside the country, saying the lengthy absence has become abnormal and is raising serious questions of transparency and accountability.

In a statement issued on 27th October 2026 and signed by its Vice Chairperson Bro. Osman Karim and Publicity Secretary Bishop Gilford Matonga, PAC says the Quasi religious body has keenly examined some contentious issues in the governance of the country and deeply reflected on the acute challenges of fuel, forex and other services currently facing Malawi, but in this statement it is focusing on two aspects as part of the citizenry of Malawi, the absence of the Head of State and the Speaker’s proposal to establish Joint Parliamentary Committees.

According to PAC, the need to uphold principles of transparency and accountability is part of Malawi’s constitutional order and even if there was no breach at law, democratic tenets must be respected within the confines of constitutionalism.

On the absence of the Head of State on the lengthy private visit, PAC says the absence continues to dominate debate on his health in several quarters of Malawi despite government officials’ assurances on his good health, adding that the recent statement from the Minister of Homeland Security who is also the ruling party’s Secretary General bears testimony to this development.

PAC says with due respect Malawians have every right to debate the lengthy absence on the current private visit, noting that indeed a private visit shall mean a private visit in their view although on taxpayers’ expenses. PAC says it fully respects private visits, however following various conversations and in the absence of the Head of State’s voice or appearance in the public domain, a case to slowly begin raising incapacitation of the leadership has emerged in several media channels.

The faith body says it is therefore in this regard that an argument from other stakeholders to let the First Vice President take charge may be justifiable, observing that government may wish to note that the practice in many countries is that when the Head of State leaves a country whether on official or private visits, an announcement is made that the Vice President or Deputy will take charge of state affairs.

PAC says it sadly notes presiding over national events by the Second Vice President or other Senior Ministers when the First Vice President is more than willing to attend such events, adding that while it welcomes principles associated with delegated powers to lower levels, the consistency of sidelining the First Vice President is definitely loud and arguably out of order.

The committee says the Head of State’s voice and visibility on the country’s state of affairs has become more urgent now than ever because the current economic pinch, an aspect acknowledged by government officials as well, has brought misery despite economic stability in some areas, and this has heightened debate on the private visits. PAC says in the absence of convincing facts on the status of the visit, stakeholders’ narrative that the leadership’s visit to South Africa has more questions than answers continues to carry the day and compounds the debate on incapacitation, stressing that it is not making any judgement on incapacitation.

On the Speaker’s proposal to establish Joint Parliamentary Committees, PAC says it wishes to formally support the Speaker’s intention to institute the committees to address public concerns over accountability and transparency in the running of government departments, agencies and ministries. PAC says promoting principles of transparency and accountability is a basic foundation for the fight against corruption and fraud in Malawi and applauds the motivation to undertake oversight role on issues of public concern.

The committee says while it differed with the Speaker over some remarks made on appointments, it strongly supports his initiative on accountability on the running of public institutions, an effort which is in line with commitments the State President made in his State of the Nation Address in February 2026, adding that the accountability pursuit should not be selective and the fight against corruption needs strong leaders and target all.

In its conclusion, PAC says from the public policy point of view, the lengthy absence of the Head of State is definitely abnormal as compared to previous visits, noting that in most jurisdictions the state would update the public given that such a visit is on taxpayer’s money and especially with the current state of affairs in the country. PAC says the other factor is that the Head of State is elected nationally so there is no special section of leadership that is entitled to be economical with truth and there is nothing like ownership of presidency either by a section of Malawians or party gurus.

PAC says in case there is sickness of some sort which has made stakeholders raise an issue of incapacitation, it calls upon government to update Malawians so that the clergy may also focus their prayers on their beloved leader.

The body says given the state of affairs, the First Vice President should be seen to be exercising presidential duties unlike officials who consistently preside over events that would ordinarily be carried by the elected First Vice President, stressing that in no way is it against anybody in his or her personal capacity but simply that the First Vice President should serve duties bestowed upon her in the absence of the leadership, a position it says will be strongly defended by peace loving Malawians.

PAC says it will not fold its hands and asks authorities to accord deserved dignity to the First Vice President for there is always tomorrow and to be honest on the lengthy absence of the Head of State, saying the public will appreciate.

The committee has also taken the opportunity to condemn violence perpetrated against journalists and party officials during the 150 celebrations of Blantyre Synod of the C.C.A.P, describing it as uncalled for conduct for such a beautiful event and stressing that religious bodies are peace loving and politics should not taint their events.

The statement is from its Board of Trustees comprising the Malawi Council of Churches, Quadria Muslim Association of Malawi, Evangelical Association of Malawi, Muslim Association of Malawi and Malawi Conference of Catholic Bishops and its Executive Committee.