Mkaka accuses Malawi Parliament of setting ‘dangerous precedent’ in Malondera row

An opposition MP has hit out at Parliament, accusing it of setting a troubling new precedent by dragging up remarks made OUTSIDE the chamber and demanding lawmakers explain themselves on the floor of the House.

Lilongwe Mpenu MP Eisenhower Nduwa Mkaka of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) didn’t hold back in his criticism, warning that Parliament appears to be introducing an unprecedented — and, he claims, deeply questionable — practice of forcing MPs to account for statements made beyond parliamentary walls.

The outspoken legislator made his intervention as the House awaited an explanation from Lilongwe Nyanja MP Baba Steven Malondera, who is expected to clarify comments he made regarding a staggering K24 billion allegedly spent by government repatriating Malawians fleeing violence in South Africa.

According to Mkaka, the move breaches Parliament’s own standing orders, though Deputy Speaker Victor Musowa admitted the rules on the matter remain frustratingly unclear.

In heated exchanges, Leader of the House Jappie Mhango pressed for clarity on exactly how much taxpayer money government has spent bringing Malawians home after they were forced to flee xenophobic violence in South Africa — the very issue that sparked Malondera’s original comments and the row now engulfing the chamber.

The dispute threatens to spiral into a wider constitutional headache for Parliament, with questions now swirling over whether MPs can legitimately be compelled to answer for remarks made outside official proceedings — and what limits, if any, exist on Parliament’s power to summon members over statements made in other public forums.

With the Deputy Speaker himself conceding the rules lack clarity, pressure is mounting on Parliament’s leadership to urgently clarify exactly where the line falls between holding MPs accountable and overstepping the chamber’s constitutional authority.