Malawi president elect Peter Mutharika
Peter Mutharika will be sworn in as Malawi’s seventh president at Kamuzu Stadium in the commercial capital of Blantyre on Saturday, marking both a dramatic political comeback and a commentary on the state of democracy in one of Africa’s most fragile economies.
Mutharika, the 85-year-old law professor who previously led the nation from 2014 to 2020, secured 56.8% of the vote in September’s general election, defeating incumbent Lazarus Chakwera.
His victory was less about ideology and more a visceral referendum on the cost of living in a country where inflation hovers near 30%, fuel and foreign currency are scarce and poverty is endemic.
For millions of Malawians, the choice at the ballot box was stark: a return to a recent past of perceived stability, or the continuation of a present defined by spiralling prices and deepening hardship. The high turnout, 5.5 million voters, or 76.4% of the electorate, underscored the urgency.
Chief Justice Rizine Mzikamanda will administer the oath of office to Mutharika and vice president-elect Jane Ansah at the inauguration ceremony, themed “The Great Return to Proven Leadership – Transforming Malawi through a People-Centred Government.
The heads of state of Zambia, Botswana and Mozambique, alongside delegations from across the region, are expected to be in attendance.
In an unprecedented show of national unity, outgoing president Chakwera will be present to formally hand over power, a rare occurrence in Malawi’s history of boycotted transitions.
His attendance breaks a pattern that saw Joyce Banda skip Mutharika’s 2014 inauguration while Mutharika himself refused to attend Chakwera’s swearing-in in 2020.
The presence of former presidents Bakili Muluzi and Joyce Banda will make the event a rare gathering of Malawi’s past and present leadership.
Incoming vice-president Ansah is a seasoned lawyer, first female attorney general in Malawi and also the only female judge in the country with a PhD. Yet her selection is as controversial as it is historic. As chair of the Malawi Electoral Commission during the annulled 2019 polls, Ansah became, in the eyes of critics, a symbol of institutional failure.
Her appointment as Mutharika’s running mate was seen by opponents as a defiant gesture; for his supporters, it was a demonstration of loyalty and resilience. In the end, economic desperation outweighed doubts about her record.
To understand Mutharika’s return, one must examine Chakwera’s collapse. The theologian-turned-politician swept to power in 2020 with the Tonse Alliance, promising to cleanse the government of corruption and usher in a new era of accountability.
But optimism gave way to disillusionment.
In 2023, the Reserve Bank of Malawi devalued the kwacha by 44% to meet International Monetary Fund (IMF) conditions for a $175 million credit facility. Lenders called it necessary, but for ordinary Malawians, it was devastating.
Household incomes collapsed, inflation soared past 30%, and the price of the staple maize grain more than doubled, leaving over four million people facing acute food insecurity.
Chakwera’s Affordable Inputs Programme, meant to subsidise fertiliser for farmers, faltered under logistical failures and corruption. Combined with governance scandals, it created the damaging perception that his government was disconnected from the suffering of ordinary people.
Malawi’s election is not just a domestic drama but a reflection of wider forces shaping African politics. First, climate change. Cyclone Freddy in 2023 killed more than 1 000 people, displaced half a million, and wiped out crops and infrastructure, hammering an already fragile economy. The disaster highlighted the vulnerability of griculture-dependent nations and the urgency of climate adaptation.
Second, the IMF dilemma. Chakwera’s government followed the orthodox playbook of devaluation and austerity, winning donor approval but losing popular support. Mutharika must now find a way to maintain foreign partnerships without inflicting unbearable pain on his citizens.
Finally, democracy itself. In a region where many leaders cling to power, Malawians used the ballot box to peacefully remove a sitting president. Surveys show Malawians remain strongly committed to democracy and this election proved they are willing to act on that commitment.
For Mutharika, the challenge is immense. His critics warn of a return to patronage politics, especially given the baggage of his first presidency and the controversial presence of vice president Ansah.
Yet his second chance also offers the possibility of redemption. With age and experience, he may now seek legacy over power.
His pledges include stabilising the currency, creating one million jobs for youth, investing in energy and infrastructure, strengthening the rule of law, and improving food security.
But his success will hinge on how he manages his first hundred days, a critical test of whether this encore will be a triumph or a tragedy.