Malawi: MP Blames Chakwera's Inner Circle - - Stacked With Family and Church Allies - - for MCP's Collapse

What the report says

AllAfrica, carrying a Nyasa Times report dated 26 July 2026, reported that Lilongwe Nyanja MP Steve Baba Malondera criticized senior figures in the Malawi Congress Party during a community gathering at Malembo Primary School’s sports ground. Malondera argued that former President Lazarus Chakwera had been a capable leader but was politically damaged by people close to him, whom he blamed for poor campaign decisions and the party’s weak election performance.

The report said Malondera’s comments prompted pushback from critics who noted that Chakwera’s inner circle was alleged to include relatives and church-linked allies, including his son-in-law Sean Kampondebi and figures associated with the Assemblies of God Church. Analysts cited in the article questioned whether Chakwera could be separated from the group around him, arguing that responsibility for advisers and power structures ultimately rested with the former president.

Malondera also used the event, hosted by fellow legislator Lawrence Chakakala Chaziya, to attack the current Democratic Progressive Party government. According to the report, he alleged that public money was being misused through arrangements involving South Africa-based middlemen and claimed excessive spending in connection with repatriating a Malawian fleeing violence in South Africa. The article noted that he did not provide exact figures or identify the alleged middlemen.

The episode matters because it highlights continuing tensions inside and around the MCP after its electoral setback, while also showing opposition scrutiny of the new government’s handling of public funds. The allegations remain claims reported by Nyasa Times and have not been independently verified by 256 Newsroom.