Malawi opposition demands answers over president's prolonged stay abroad

Mutharika returned to power in October last year after defeating then-president Lazarus Chakwera. He previously governed Malawi between 2014 and 2020.His latest absence comes amid growing public scrutiny of his frequent visits to South Africa.On Thursday, MCP campaign director Moses Kunkuyu told journalists in the capital, Lilongwe, that the opposition was not questioning the president's right to travel for personal reasons but wanted Vice-President Jane Ansah to address the nation over the country's mounting challenges.He said that Malawians deserved to know who was managing the country's affairs."The issue is not that the president has traveled," he said. "The issue is that people are suffering and want reassurance that somebody is in charge."He called on the government to explain how it intended to address persistent fuel shortages, frequent electricity blackouts, shortage of essential medicines in public hospitals and difficulties accessing foreign currency.The information minister responded by telling local media that "a state president is always in charge at any time, anywhere," insisting that the president remained firmly in control of government affairs.Asked about the purp...