Malawi Electoral Commission [MEC] Commissioner Dr. Limbikani Sarah Kamlongera has demanded an unconditional written apology from union leaders by noon tomorrow after she accused them of sending individuals to her private residence to deliver a workplace memorandum.
In a Sept. 23 memorandum to MEC Union President Edward Kalonga, Vice President Sylvester Luka and Executive Member Evance Afati, Kamlongera described the alleged approach to her home as a breach of her privacy and personal security.
MEC Staff union are demanding a meeting with the Commission to push for relocation to Blantyre and have given the Commission seven days, from Sept. 21, to act on the demand. The letter is addressed to Chairperson Annabel Mtalimanja but was also hand delivered to Kamlongera’s residence a move the Commissioner has not taken lightly.
“Your leadership bypassed the Commission’s Secretariat and deployed individuals to track and approach my private residence to hand-deliver this workplace document. A Commissioner’s home is a secure sanctuary for their family. Approaching a constitutional officer’s private dwelling to serve an ultimatum constitutes intimidation and harassment” reads the letter.
Kamlongera said the matter has been reported to the MEC head of security for referral to the Malawi Police Service and warned that any further unauthorized approach to her private property would trigger legal action, restraining orders and disciplinary proceedings for gross misconduct.
Kamlongera has given the union leadership until 12 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, to issue an unconditional written apology and copy it to the full Commission.
She also said she would not participate in or support any plenary audience requested by the union until the matter is addressed.
Kamlongera acknowledged the union’s constitutional right to operate but objected to what she described as the manner in which its memorandum was served.
She said correspondence, grievances and legal documents should be routed through the MEC Secretariat, arguing that the union’s decision to approach her home had departed from established administrative channels.
A senior staff member said they will not issue an apology saying they have a legitimate concern that the stand-off between MEC and the executive arm of government has affected them personally.
“There are no operations at the Commission. This means we are idle. Most of us depend on activities to supplement our income. So, our thinking is that the Commission must concede and move to Blantyre. What do we lose? We have operated in Blantyre all these years what should be the problem now” argued the staff member who did not want to be named.
The staff member accused what he called Malawi Congress Party (MCP) linked commissioners as “working to frustrate the current administration”. The staff member however could not explain how. Other sources also suggest that the staff union could be working under the support of the executive arm of government. Frontlinenews could not independently verify these claims.
The dispute comes amid growing uncertainty among MEC staff over the Commission’s relationship with government, including the unresolved question of the relocation of its headquarters from Lilongwe to Blantyre.
In a Sept. 8 memorandum to staff, Mtalimanja said the Commission had not passed a resolution to relocate its headquarters in line with Executive Order No. 1 of 2025. She said MEC had sought judicial clarification on whether the directive amounted to unlawful interference with its constitutional independence.
Mtalimanja said the Commission would continue operating from Chisankho House in Lilongwe pending a final determination of the constitutional issues or resolution of the matter.
The chairperson also told staff that the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development had declined to renew the lease for Chisankho House after being instructed to identify premises for the commission in Blantyre. MEC, she said, was continuing to engage the Secretary to the Treasury and other authorities over the lease and budgetary support.
The Commission is also dealing with the continued sealing of its warehouse at Njewa in Lilongwe after the lease expired on April 1. According to Mtalimanja, the landlord obtained a warrant for distress for rent on June 29 and the Sheriff of Malawi subsequently sealed the premises.
She said the loss of access to electoral equipment and materials had affected the Commission’s operations and contributed to the rescheduling of fresh parliamentary elections in Nsanje South and Mangochi East.
The staff union’s latest demands followed an earlier memorandum and a general staff meeting at which employees raised concerns about the Commission’s operational relationship with government and the implications for staff.
Mtalimanja had acknowledged those concerns in her Sept. 8 communication, saying the Commission was aware of the uncertainty among staff and would establish a regular process for communicating developments affecting its operations.
The chairperson also addressed the arrest of some senior MEC officers following investigations by the Malawi Police Service’s Fiscal and Fraud Section. She said the Commission had not yet received the preliminary audit report from the Auditor General and therefore had not been given an opportunity to respond to matters that may have been flagged.
