SADC deploys the Electoral Observation Mission, headed by the Honourable Themba N. Masuku, former Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Eswatini, to the 2025 General Election in the Republic of Malawi 02 September 2025, Gaborone, Botswana: Following Article 3 of the revised SADC Principles and Guidelines Governing Democratic Elections (2021), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) shall observe all General Elections held in its Member States.
As per the standard practice of observing General Elections in the SADC Member States, the Government of the Republic of Malawi had on 9 th December 2024 invited the SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) to observe the country’s upcoming General Election (Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections) scheduled for the 16 th of September 2025. The Incoming Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, His Majesty King Mswati III of the Kingdom of Eswatini, has deployed the SEOM to the 2025 General Elections in the Republic of Malawi and appointed Right Honourable Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku, Former Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Eswatini as the Head of Mission, and mandated the SADC Secretariat led by His Excellency Mr. Elias Mpedi Magosi, the SADC Executive Secretary, to coordinate the SEOM deployment to Malawi, including facilitating in-country deployment of election observers.
The SADC Secretariat support team arrived in Lilongwe on 1 st September 2025 to prepare logistics for the Mission. The SEOM will be deployed to all the twenty-eight (28) districts of the country. The SEOM will observe the country’s pre-election phase, polling day, and postelection processes to assess the conduct of the elections in line with the principles and guidelines that promote regular, free, fair, transparent, credible, and peaceful democratic elections.
Among the key activities, the SEOM will undertake consultations with a broad range of key electoral stakeholders such as the Malawi Electoral Commission, relevant Government Departments, Political parties, Diplomatic Community, Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Women and Youth Organisations etc., in order to gain deeper understanding of amongst other, the political and security context, the Constitutional and Legal Framework governing the elections, preparedness and readiness of the MEC to conduct the 2025 General Election.
