Malawi’s President To Return Home After Month-Long Absence

Malawi’s Information Minister and presidential spokesman, Malison Ndau, has issued a press release announcing that President Peter Mutharika will be back in the country on Sunday, October 16th. The press release comes amid growing online chatter by Malawian citizens concerning Mutharika’s whereabouts, with many speculating that the President has died or fallen critically ill.

President Mutharika was one of many world leaders who attended the last UN General Assembly in New York City in September. The 76-year-old hasn’t been seen in public since the assembly concluded on September 26th. For weeks, Malawians have been left with no official explanations about the whereabouts of their president, sparking a social media storm.

Presidential aides have continued to deflect questions about Mutharika’s business in the U.S., maintaining that there’s nothing unusual about his prolonged absence. They’ve slammed any speculations of ill health and threatened to punish people referring to the president as dead.

In the press release, Ndau says that”The President is enjoying very robust health and is continuing to carry on his duties,” before adding that law enforcement agencies will not hesitate to “bring to book” those speculating or spreading false information about the president’s health.

Ndau stresses that the President continues to attend to the business of running the country, even while abroad.