President Peter Mutharika has weighed in on reports of First Vice President Jane Ansah’s alleged resignation.
In a statement issued by the Office of the President and Cabinet (OPC) and signed by Chief Secretary Justin Saidi, Mutharika dismissed as baseless claims that he is pressuring Ansah to step down.
the government described the claims circulating on social media as misleading and unfounded.
“The Office of the President and Cabinet has noted with serious concern the circulation of misleading stories on social media. These claims are false, baseless and deliberately misleading,” reads part of the statement.
The OPC said there is no evidence to support the allegations, dismissing as “entirely unfounded” assertions that the President had asked Ansah to step down.
“Under Section 90(1), presidential decisions are formally expressed in writing and under the President’s signature. There is no such written communication,” the statement said.
The government also maintained that Ansah remains fully engaged in her role as Malawi vice President. “The First Vice President continues to fully discharge her constitutional duties, including participating in Cabinet meetings and contributing to the governance of the country.”
The clarification follows claims by Zimbabwean journalist Hope Chin’ono, who alleged, citing sources within the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), that Ansah was facing pressure to resign amid an internal succession struggle.
However, the OPC said recent changes affecting the Office of the Vice President, including budget adjustments, are part of broader fiscal consolidation measures across government.
“The adjustments made to the budget of the Office of the Vice President form part of broader fiscal consolidation measures implemented across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies,” the statement said.
In a related development, a message circulating earlier today claiming that Ansah was contemplating stepping down has also been dismissed as false.
Ansah herself has described the claims as untrue in a statement shared on her Facebook page.
