The High Court sitting in Blantyre has ordered a fresh parliamentary election in Nsanje South Constituency, citing serious irregularities in the manner the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) handled the declaration of results.
Lawyer Khumbo Soko
Lawyer for the petitioners, Khumbo Soko, confirmed the ruling, describing it as a clear victory for the rule of law. He said the decision was delivered by Justice Etness Chanza.
According to Soko, the court found that MEC acted unlawfully and outside the law when it handled the election results.
“The court has ruled that MEC made a grave error in the way it managed and altered the election outcome,” said Soko.
He explained that on 30 September 2025, MEC officially announced that Ramuzani Mahommed, who was standing as an independent candidate, had won the election. However, two days later, the commission reversed itself, claiming the earlier announcement had been made in error and instead declared Thomson Kamangira of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as the winner.
Justice Chanza ruled that this conduct was illegal and unconstitutional, noting that the law is clear that election results must be announced within 14 days from the last polling day.
“The court has made it clear that MEC has no authority to extend or alter timelines set by law for the announcement of election results,” Soko said.
As a result, the court nullified the election and ordered that a fresh parliamentary poll be conducted in Nsanje South.
Legal analysts have described the ruling as a strong reaffirmation of electoral discipline and constitutionalism, with praise directed at Soko’s precise and forceful legal arguments, which exposed what the court termed as MEC’s procedural failures.
The judgment is expected to have far-reaching implications for the management of future elections, sending a clear warning that electoral bodies must strictly comply with the law and cannot correct mistakes by breaking it.
