Football Association of Malawi (FAM) president Fleetwood Haiya has demanded K200 million in defamation damages from his predecessor, Walter Nyamilandu, over remarks made during a Face2Face podcast that allegedly portrayed Haiya as corrupt and undemocratic.
Through his lawyers, Blackstone Chambers, Haiya accuses Nyamilandu of making defamatory statements during the podcast aired on January 15, 2026, which was distributed widely on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, and other platforms, and later shared extensively by the public.
In the interview, Nyamilandu described the FAM presidential election that removed him from office as a “coup,” alleging that state machinery, including the military, was used to intimidate his supporters and influence the outcome in favour of Haiya.
Haiya contends that the remarks imply he abused public resources, manipulated the electoral process, intimidated delegates, and used influence peddling to secure victory, accusations his lawyers argue are false, malicious, and damaging to his reputation.
The legal demand states that the comments lowered Haiya’s standing in the eyes of right-thinking members of Malawian society, particularly in a country where free and fair elections are regarded as a democratic cornerstone.
Haiya is demanding that Nyamilandu publicly retract the statements and issue an apology within 48 hours, alongside payment of K200 million as compensation for reputational harm.
The lawyers have warned that failure to comply within seven days will result in legal proceedings, with additional legal costs to be claimed should the matter proceed to court.
