With only five days to go before the people of the Republic of Malawi go to vote in the General Election (Presidential, Parliamentary and Local Government Elections) scheduled for the 16th of September 2025, Honourable Themba N. Masuku, Head of the SADC Electoral Observation Mission (SEOM) and the SEOM team have intensified engagements with various electoral stakeholders.
On 11 September 2025, the Head of Mission met with the Chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC), the Honourable Justice Annabel Mtalimanja, the Chief Elections Officer of MEC, Mr. Andrew Mpesi, and several Commissioners of MEC. The Head of Mission also met the Public Affairs Committee (PAC) delegation comprising its Chairperson Monsignor Dr. Patrick Thawale and the Executive Director, Robert Mbiziri Phiri.
Other engagements of the Head of Mission on 11 September 2025, included the meeting with the Chairperson of the Malawi Electoral Support Network, (MESN), Ms. Emma Kaliya and members of MESN, and Mr. Chimphepo Ntaba of the Centre for Civil Society Strengthening (CCSS).
The consultations of the Head of Mission are meant to deepen understanding and appreciation of the political and security situation as well as the state of preparedness of the electoral stakeholders ahead of the elections.
The Head of Mission expressed appreciation to the electoral stakeholders providing information to the SEOM leadership notwithstanding their tight schedules.
The Head was supported by the Director of Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Affairs at the SADC Secretariat, Prof. Kula Ishmael Theletsane, Members of the SADC Troika of the Organ namely, His Excellency Ambassador Mlondi Dlamini from the Kingdom of Eswatini, and Ms. Zaynab Turuku and Mr. Pauline Nansebwa from the United Republic of Tanzania, and two members of the SADC Electoral Advisory Council, Dr. Leonard Sesa and Advocate Notemba Tjipueja.
On 16th September, 2025, which is the Election Day, the Head of Mission and his team will undertake field observations and on 18th September, 2025, he will release the SEOM Preliminary Statement on the conduct of General Election in the Republic of Malawi.
