Malawi’s political stage has been rocked by fresh allegations of fraud and forgery, this time involving Mackford Somanje — the man controversially nominated by the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) as a commissioner for the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC).
It has now been officially confirmed that Somanje’s so-called Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, supposedly awarded in 1994 by the University of South Africa (UNISA), is as fake as rain in the desert.
According to a letter seen by Shire Times, dated 8th July 2025 from the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), UNISA itself has denied ever awarding Somanje the degree. Worse still, UNISA revealed Somanje never even registered for any subjects under the student number he claims. The certificate he paraded around doesn’t match the fonts, signatory, or crest of genuine UNISA certificates.
The NCHE’s findings come months after President Lazarus Chakwera declined to appoint Somanje to the MEC, a move that angered DPP officials. Now it appears the President’s refusal was not just political — it was an act of protecting Malawi’s democracy from fraudsters in suits.
Police sources have hinted that a manhunt for Somanje is already underway. The former head of the National Registration Bureau under the DPP regime is now reportedly on the run. “A man who once handled national identity records could not handle his own honesty,” remarked one senior police official.
This latest scandal adds to an already long rap sheet haunting the DPP. Alfred Gangata, DPP Central Region Vice President, was previously arrested for allegedly hiring someone to sit his MSCE exams — Malawi’s equivalent of O-Levels. Youth Director Norman Chisale too was caught using someone else’s academic papers to join the Malawi Defence Force.
“These are the very people asking Malawians to trust them again in September 2025?” a political analyst told Shire Times. “It’s like putting the keys to your house in the hands of a known burglar.”
While DPP under late President Bingu wa Mutharika once carried the torch of reform, critics say today’s DPP has been hijacked by con artists and certificate mercenaries.
As one senior citizen told Shire Times Malawi: “Better the devil you know than the devil that steals your birth certificate.”
With President Chakwera’s government pushing forward with genuine reforms and international partnerships, many are now asking: should Malawi risk handing the reins back to a party increasingly defined by fraud?
The police have appealed to the public to assist with any information regarding Mackford Somanje’s whereabouts.
This is a developing story.
