By Apengie Apengire
Confusion briefly gripped Kamuzu Palace on Monday after State President Prof. Peter Mutharika failed to preside over a scheduled Cabinet meeting and instead delegated the task to Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. George Chaponda.
Ministers who had gathered for the meeting were reportedly caught off guard when informed that the President would not attend and that Dr. Chaponda would chair in his place. The decision drew quiet discontent from some Cabinet members, who noted that Vice President Dr. Jane Ansah was present and, under normal protocol, would be expected to act in the President’s absence.
Despite the murmurs, the meeting proceeded under Chaponda’s chairmanship.
The incident has renewed speculation about the relationship between President Mutharika and Vice President Ansah, with sources pointing to an apparent strain between the two. The episode also comes amid ongoing rumors regarding the President’s health.
Public appearances by Mutharika have become increasingly rare since mid-May 2026. He was absent from several high-profile national events, including the official opening of the tobacco marketing season, the Malawi Defence Force pass-out parade in Salima, the Police pass-out ceremony in Blantyre, the Malawi International Trade Fair, and the commemoration of Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda held in Lilongwe on 14 May 2026.
State House has not issued an official statement on the President’s absence from Monday’s Cabinet meeting or on his recent withdrawal from public engagements.
