Lilongwe – Former Deputy Prime Minister of Eswatini, Themba Nhlanganiso Masuku, has arrived in Lilongwe, Malawi, to head the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Electoral Observation Mission for the country’s general elections set for 16 September 2025.
Masuku’s appointment was made by His Majesty King Mswati III, who currently serves as Incoming Chairperson of the SADC Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation. The King tasked the SADC Secretariat, under the leadership of Elias Mpedi Magosi, with coordinating the deployment of observers and managing in-country arrangements.
On 10 September, Masuku is scheduled to launch the mission, paving the way for the deployment of 80 observers drawn from nine SADC member states, including Eswatini. The observers will be stationed in all 28 districts of Malawi.
The delegation, which includes representatives from Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, recently completed a four day refresher training. During this preparation, the teams were introduced to Malawi’s electoral laws, constitutional provisions and frameworks guiding the polls.
The Government of Malawi formally invited the mission in December 2024, in line with SADC practice of observing presidential, parliamentary and local government elections across member states. Key activities for the mission will include the official launch on 10 September, field observation on election day, and the release of a preliminary statement on 18 September.
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