Two Disappointments Face Malawi Voters

Malawi’s 2025 election pits President Chakwera against ex-leader Mutharika (image source)

Malawians queued at polling stations from Lilongwe to Blantyre on 16 September to choose between incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera and former leader Peter Mutharika—a decision framed by widespread frustration over soaring inflation, food shortages and unfulfilled reform promises.

Chakwera, 70, seeks a second term on a platform of “finishing what we started,” while 85-year-old Mutharika campaigns on a “return to proven leadership.” With neither candidate inspiring broad enthusiasm, analysts warn the race hinges on who can emerge as the “lesser liability” amid economic despair.

Chakwera’s campaign has been overshadowed by triple-digit food inflation and fuel shortages that forced rationing at petrol stations. Voters report spending up to 70 percent of monthly incomes on maize meal, the national staple. Meanwhile, Mutharika argues that only a familiar hand can stabilise the kwacha and restore supply chains disrupted by drought and Cyclone Freddy last year.

First-time voter and shopkeeper Mary Zulu, 26, said neither candidate stirs hope. “They both talk of change, but we still scavenge for wood fuel. This election feels like choosing between two disappointments.”

Political commentator Chris Nhlane describes the field as “a contest between dashed dreams,” noting that the only other viable contender, former president Joyce Banda, polls in the low single digits and faces entrenched gender biases.

Opinion surveys suggest 96 percent of registered Malawians intend to vote, driven by anger at unemployment and corruption. A September poll by the Institute for Public Opinion shows 62 percent rank the cost of living as their top concern, versus just 8 percent citing security. Accusations of economic mismanagement swirl around both Chakwera and Mutharika, tainting their appeals to nostalgia or continuity.

“Malawi’s democracy is under strain. Citizens want delivery, not just democracy, but these frontrunners represent the same system that has failed to reform.”– Dr Dan Msowoya, University of Malawi

Since its first multiparty elections in 1994, Malawi’s leadership has oscillated between reformers and technocrats. Chakwera’s 2020 rerun victory followed a landmark annulment of the 2019 vote over ballot-tampering claims. Yet his administration has failed to harness donor funds effectively, leading to stalled infrastructure projects and delayed fertilizer imports that aggravated last year’s drought crisis.

Mutharika’s 2014–20 tenure saw initial gains in road construction and a modest inflation dip, but ended amid scandals over diverted state contracts and mounting debt. His campaign pledges to renegotiate IMF conditions face skepticism, given past lender-imposed austerity measures that deepened poverty.

Malawi’s constitution requires an outright majority to win; otherwise, a runoff follows within 30 days. That scenario appears likely, as both major candidates hover around 35–40 percent in national polling. Turnout among youth—who make up 60 percent of the electorate—will prove decisive, as will the performance of Kingmaker Dalitso Kabambe, whose technocratic platform has gained traction in urban centres.

Observers from the Southern African Development Community and African Union will monitor results announced by 24 September, watching closely for signs of electoral integrity or post-poll unrest. Questions linger: Will turnout reflect a demand for change or resignation? Can either candidate broaden appeal beyond their core base? And what reforms, if any, will they enact to restore public trust?