Lilongwe, 9 October 2025 — The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has strongly condemned what it calls a “malicious and false” report by the Times Group, which claimed that State residences had been left in disrepair following President Lazarus Chakwera’s departure from office.
In a statement issued by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Dr. Jessie Kabwila, the MCP described the allegations as “entirely false and an affront to the principles of truth and accuracy in journalism.”
The statement accuses Times Group and its reporter, Cathy Maulidi, of using fake photographs in their October 8th publication titled “State House in Disrepair.” The party says the images were misleadingly presented as having been taken at Kamuzu Palace, and has demanded an immediate public apology from the media house.
“The MCP condemns in the strongest terms the unprofessional conduct of Times Group and its reporter,” Dr. Kabwila said. “This kind of reporting undermines the integrity of the media and damages public trust.”
While affirming respect for media freedom, the MCP reminded journalists of their responsibility to report truthfully. “Accuracy and fairness are the cornerstones of responsible journalism,” the statement read. “Freedom of the press must not be abused to spread misinformation.”
The party further defended President Chakwera, describing him as a “patriotic and development-oriented leader” who has contributed significantly to infrastructure projects in the country. It argued that the State residences—built under Malawi’s founding President, Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda—were part of the nation’s heritage and that it was “absurd” to suggest that the MCP or its leader would destroy them.
The MCP also accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of orchestrating the controversy to distract the public from unfulfilled campaign promises, including commitments to free secondary education, a MK5 billion Constituency Development Fund, and free feeding programmes in universities.
“Instead of spreading lies, the DPP should focus on delivering for Malawians,” Dr. Kabwila stated.
The MCP urged the public to disregard what it termed “baseless allegations” and to seek information from credible sources.
