Mzimba Hora hopefuls in 9-month wait for verdict

Today marks nine months and counting since the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal concluded hearing an electoral dispute appeal by Mzimba Hora parliamentarian Martha Munthali-Ngwira, but is yet to deliver judgement.

Munthali-Ngwira, who is also Deputy Minister of Gender, Children, Disability and Social Welfare, appealed against nullification of her election in the September 16 2025 General Election by High Court of Malawi Judge Thomson Ligowe in Mzuzu on November 25 the same year.

However, on December 1 2025, the Supreme Court gave her relief by temporarily stopping implementation of the order nullifying her victory.

Justice of Appeal Dingiswayo Madise heard the matter as a single Supreme Court judge on January 21 this year, but is yet to give his verdict, a development the complainant Henri Mumba, a Malawi Congress Party (MCP) candidate, said was unfortunate.

He said: “We are still waiting for the ruling, yet. There are many questions on this, including why this is the only case whose judgement has taken this long. Where is justice, or fairness in this? All other cases are done, why not this one for Mzimba Hora? We don’t want to talk a lot.”

His lawyer Justin Dzonzi told us earlier that lawyers often avoid pushing judges for fear of “adverse judgement”.

Civil Society Election Integrity Forum chairperson Benedicto Kondowe, a private practice lawyer, said the legal standard is that judgement should be delivered within a reasonable time, with electoral matters requiring particular urgency because of their public significance.

“Under rule 32 of the Judicature (Supreme Court) Rules, the court may deliver judgement at the hearing or reserve it for a later date; the rule does not prescribe a universal fixed deadline for every reserved appeal,” he said.

Commenting on the development, National Initiative for Civic Education executive director Gray Kalindekafe said election petitions are inherently urgent because they determine the legitimacy of representation and the confidence citizens have in democratic institutions.

Centre for Multiparty Democracy executive director Boniface Chibwana said the prolonged delay is creating uncertainty over the electoral mandate and finality of representation for the people of Mzimba Hora.

Malawi Electoral Commission faced 83 petitions in the High Court from losing parliamentary aspirants in the declared 224 constituencies.

In an interview last evening, Judiciary spokesperson Ruth Mputeni said the “Judiciary is still looking into the complexity of issues in Mzimba Hora matter and will very soon deliver its ruling”.

Commenting specifically on the Mzimba Hora petition, Mputeni said it had taken time to conclude because case varies depending on several factors, including the complexity of the legal and factual issues, the volume of evidence presented, interlocutory applications, the need for careful judicial consideration before judgement is delivered and the availability of parties and lawyers.

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