Mutharika’s whereabouts remain unclear

The whereabouts of President Arthur Peter Mutharika remain unclear after conflicting reports over his alleged departure from Malawi prompted one media house to apologise and another to remove its story, leaving the public without an official explanation.

The uncertainty follows reports on Tuesday claiming the President had left the country on a private trip. However, with those reports now withdrawn and no formal government statement issued, questions over the President’s location remain unanswered.

Zodiak Broadcasting Station (ZBS) on Wednesday retracted its earlier report and issued an unreserved apology after announcing that President Mutharika had “sneaked” out of the country to an undisclosed destination.

In a statement, the broadcaster said the report was based on information from trusted sources at Kamuzu International Airport but admitted that its verification process did not meet the standards required before publication.

“As a broadcast house, Zodiak Broadcasting Station remains committed to accurate dissemination of news and information deemed in the interest of the people of this country,” the statement reads.

The station said it would continue to retract, apologise for or clarify inaccurate reports whenever necessary, describing the practice as part of responsible journalism.

Meanwhile, the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) also removed from its digital platforms a story which had reported that the President had travelled to South Africa.

The now-deleted report reportedly cited communication from Chief Secretary to the President and Cabinet Justin Saidi regarding the President’s travel arrangements.

Despite the retraction by Zodiak and the removal of MBC’s report, the government had not, by Wednesday morning, issued an official statement clarifying President Mutharika’s whereabouts or whether he had travelled outside the country.