The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) is under growing scrutiny after revelations that it received over K360 million in taxpayer money over the past five years–and has failed to provide a single report on how the funds were used.
Registrar of Political Parties, Dr. Kizito Tenthani, dropped the bombshell during a press briefing in Lilongwe on Monday, revealing that the DPP benefited the most from state political funding between the 2019-2020 and 2023-2024 fiscal years–yet has not accounted for a single tambala.
“This is public money. It’s not a donation. It’s not a party fundraiser. It’s money from Malawians, and the law requires accountability,” said Tenthani. “The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has complied and submitted its reports. We reviewed them and found them satisfactory. The DPP has done nothing.”
The MCP, which received slightly less–K352 million–has been commended for its compliance with the law. But DPP’s continued silence, despite raking in millions, is raising alarms among governance watchdogs.
“This is looting through legal channels,” said a civil society activist. “They took the money, and now they are pretending like nothing happened. It’s impunity of the highest order.”
According to the Political Parties Act, any party that receives state funding is obligated to submit annual audited financial statements to the Registrar of Political Parties. Failure to comply with this requirement can attract sanctions, including the suspension of funding and legal penalties. But despite repeated reminders, the DPP has remained mute.
Dr. Tenthani hinted that his office will soon take steps to enforce compliance. “This isn’t optional. Parties must account. We will not allow this trend to continue,” he said.
In the same briefing, the Registrar disclosed that three new political party applications are under review–but warned that any future party must be built on principles of transparency and legal compliance.
As the countdown to the 2025 general elections begins, the DPP’s financial black hole has become a national embarrassment. Critics say it’s yet another reminder that, for the DPP, taking public money is easy–but telling Malawians how it’s spent seems impossible.
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