Landlord pounces on MEC, seals offices over K885m rental

Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has found itself in a situation where it has to settle about K885 million warehouse rental arrears within five days or risk having its property sold.

A notice of distress issued by the High Court of Malawi in Lilongwe shows that property owner Azmy Ali Jawad through lawyer Donvan Silungwe expected MEC to pay the rentals for the entire year beginning April 2026 to March 2027 as per agreement.

The sealed property in question is Plot Title Number 21/2/186 in Njewa and the amount due is K885 931 200.

“Take further notice that unless the said rent be paid together with the expenses of the distress within five days from the date hereof, they will be sold according to law,” reads the notice.

In a brief interview, Silungwe confirmed obtaining the order and the seizure of the properties, but did not specify the exact properties seized at the warehouse.

The order says the amount for which the distress is levied also included legal practitioners’ fees at K132 889 680, bringing the total to K1 018 820 880.

MEC director of media and public relations Sangwani Mwafulirwa, in a statement last evening, confirmed that the commission was served with a court order restraining access to its warehouse at Njewa over outstanding rental obligations arising from the expiry of the lease agreement for the premises and non-renewal of the same.

He said the lease for the warehouse expired on March 31 2026 and that MEC had already started the process of renewing the tenancy.

Said Mwafulirwa: “Negotiations with the landlord were concluded in good time. However, in compliance with the government’s expenditure control measures as announced in February 2026, the commission sought the requisite government approval before executing the lease. Accordingly, the commission submitted a request seeking authorisation to renew the lease.

“To date, the commission is yet to receive a response from the Government. Owing to the prolonged approval process, the commission has continued occupying the warehouse as a tenant holding over while awaiting government authorisation to execute the lease and settle the attendant rental obligations.”

He added that MEC is actively engaging the relevant authorities and the landlord to resolve the outstanding administrative processes and regularise the lease arrangement.

The development comes as Attorney General (AG) Frank Mbeta last week filed a fresh application to vacate an injunction obtained by Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and three legislators stopping MEC’s relocation from Lilongwe to Blantyre based on President Peter Mutharika’s Executive order issued last October.

Lawyer representing MCP and the three legislators, George Kadzipatike said yesterday that the incident creates the impression that those involved in these matters would like to push MEC to relocate to Blantyre.

He said: “I will talk to the Attorney General to advise the Chief Secretary to the Office of President and Cabinet and the Ministry responsible for Land matters to make sure that any landlord for MEC is paid in time.”

In May, Capital Developments Limited initiated eviction of MEC from its Chisankho House in City Centre, Lilongwe after the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development could not renew the lease on its behalf.

Mutharika’s order compelled MEC to relocate to Blantyre alongside Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (Macra) and Malawi Housing Corporation (MHC).

MEC moved its head offices from Blantyre to Lilongwe in June 2023 while Malawi Prisons relocated its headquarters from Zomba in January 2024 followed by Macra and MHC in March the same year.

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