Former President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has broken his silence with a scathing warning over what he describes as a dangerous collapse of the rule of law, accusing the State of using law enforcement agencies to target opposition figures through intimidation, unlawful arrests and abuse of due process.
Dr. Chakwera?
In a strongly worded press release dated 19 January 2026, Chakwera revealed that he has personally engaged President Prof. Arthur Peter Mutharika to formally register his deep concern over what he calls a clear and escalating pattern of politically motivated arrests directed at leaders and officials of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
According to Chakwera, the evidence is no longer isolated incidents but a systematic campaign involving police searches, arrests and intimidation “without regard to procedures, laws, or rights.”
He cited a disturbing list of cases spanning just weeks:
The arrest of his aide on 21 November 2025
An attempted police raid on his private residence on 26 November 2025
The arrest of his former Cabinet Secretary on 3 December 2025
The arrest of his electoral running mate and MCP Secretary General on 12 December 2025
The arrest of the MCP spokesperson on 14 December 2025
The unlawful search warrant obtained against the Leader of Opposition on 15 December 2025
The arrest of MCP’s former Publicity Secretary on 15 January 2026
And most recently, the arrest of MCP’s Campaign Director, despite his parliamentary immunity as a member of the International Relations Committee currently in session.
While stressing that he respects the mandate of law enforcement to arrest anyone where credible evidence exists, Chakwera stated bluntly that these arrests are political, pointing to public statements by political leadership within the Ministry of Homeland Security openly threatening to focus arrests exclusively on MCP leaders.
“This includes individuals whose only ‘crime’ is exercising their freedom of speech,” the statement notes.
Chakwera expressed particular outrage at the detention of MCP Secretary General for over a month without charge or bail, a move later overturned by the High Court, which found the Police Service guilty of violating the Constitution. He warned that the High Court order barring the police from detaining the official again must be obeyed, or Malawi risks sliding into lawlessness.
The former president said he felt compelled to directly engage President Mutharika because both leaders share a constitutional duty to safeguard national stability, democracy and peace.
In a rare and pointed appeal, Chakwera has also called on the international community, civil society, the Malawi Law Society, the Public Affairs Committee, the Malawi Human Rights Commission, the Ombudsman, faith-based institutions, traditional leaders, the media, and all law-abiding citizens to remain vigilant.
He warned that unchecked abuse of police power now poses a serious threat to Malawi’s stability and constitutional order.
The statement, signed by Hon. Gift Nankhuni, MP, spokesperson for the Sixth President of Malawi, marks Chakwera’s most forceful public intervention yet—and raises sharp questions about the direction the country is taking as political temperatures rise.
