HRDC demands ‘urgent answers’ as row deepens over sidelined Malawi VP Ansah

Malawi’s Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC) has waded into the growing controversy engulfing Vice President Jane Ansah, demanding urgent answers from government over her continued exclusion from key executive meetings.

The rights group launched its blistering intervention after it emerged that Ansah was not invited to attend a recent Cabinet meeting, which was instead chaired by Second Vice President Enoch Chihana — a snub that has now sparked serious constitutional questions.

HRDC insists the reports, now widely circulating in the public domain, raise genuine governance concerns that demand a swift and transparent explanation from government, rather than continued silence.

In a hard-hitting press statement, HRDC Chairperson Michael Kaiyatsa acknowledged that the President does hold constitutional powers under Section 89(6) to delegate certain functions — but warned those powers cannot simply be wielded to undermine the established constitutional hierarchy or effectively neuter the office of First Vice President without proper justification.

“In our considered view, the power to delegate should be exercised reasonably, transparently, and consistently with the spirit and purpose of the Constitution where the First Vice President is available to perform her constitutional responsibilities,” the statement reads.

The coalition didn’t hold back in questioning why Ansah was bypassed entirely in favour of her deputy, insisting the decision raises serious and legitimate questions over whether constitutional principles, administrative fairness and respect for established offices are being properly upheld.

But it was Ansah’s apparent total exclusion from the meeting itself that drew the sharpest criticism from the rights group, who pointed out that her attendance at Cabinet isn’t simply a courtesy — it’s a constitutional right.

“Equally concerning are reports indicating that Rt. Hon. Jane Ansah was not even invited to attend the meeting. Section 92(1) of the Constitution expressly provides for the First Vice President’s membership of the Cabinet.

“Her attendance at Cabinet meetings is, therefore, not a matter of discretion but a constitutional entitlement arising from her office,” the statement concludes.

The intervention adds yet another powerful voice to the mounting chorus of concern over Ansah’s treatment within government, with pressure now building on officials to finally break their silence and offer a clear, credible explanation for her exclusion.