Yes, you can dial *2509# to verify your voter registration records

Elections 2025

True

Yes, you can dial *2509# to verify your voter registration records

Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) Chairperson Justice Annabel Mtalimanja announced the launch of a mobile phone-based system for voters to inspect and verify their registration details in the past engagements with stakeholders, including National Elections Consultative Forum (NECOF) meeting. Justice Mtalimanja said voters can dial *2509# and enter their voter registration number or national ID to confirm their details.

May 5, 2025
It is false that UTM party will conduct its primary elections online

Elections 2025

False

It is false that UTM party will conduct its primary elections online

The UTM party spokesperson Felix Njawala, who is also one of the signatories of the circulating press release, has said the party has not released any statement on conducting primary elections online. According to Njawala, the party will conduct its primary elections physically as it is traditionally done in Malawi.

April 30, 2025
It is false that MEC will conduct other interviews for Constituency Civic and Voter Education Assistants

Elections 2025

False

It is false that MEC will conduct other interviews for Constituency Civic and Voter Education Assistants

The Malawi Electoral Commission has said the circulating message is not from the Commission. According to the Commission, the said interviews were conducted successfully and there is no need for a second run.

April 24, 2025
False information on President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera attending funeral of Pope Francis

Politics

False

False information on President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera attending funeral of Pope Francis

Malawi's Office of the President and Cabinet has said it has not issued the said notice and Pope Francis' funeral arrangements had not been announced. Additionally, President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera has not travelled to Italy, where the funeral ceremony will be conducted.

April 22, 2025

Politics

Misleading

Misleading information on prayers conducted at Professor Peter Mutharika’s Page House

iVerify Malawi's analyses of information coming out of the prayers indicate that information provided by the organisers, mainstream media is misleading.

April 16, 2025
It is false that Times Group Broadcaster Brian Banda is contesting in 2025 general election

Elections 2025

False

It is false that Times Group Broadcaster Brian Banda is contesting in 2025 general election

Broadcaster Brian Banda is not contesting for a Parliamentary seat in the forthcoming general election as claimed in the poster.

April 10, 2025
Yes, Malawian youths are running away from Israeli Farms and seeking asylum

Economy

True

Yes, Malawian youths are running away from Israeli Farms and seeking asylum

The youths from Malawi have been going to Israel to work as labourers in farms there. But there are reports about some of them running away from the farms and seeking asylum with a claim that they are being threatened by lack of freedom of expression in Malawi. During her visit and meeting with Malawian ministers in Lilongwe, Malawi on April 7, 2025, Israeli Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Sharren Haskel talked about her government's concern over the behaviour of the youth.

April 8, 2025
Yes, Malawi is among countries on the list of United States’ Reciprocal Tariffs

Economy

True

Yes, Malawi is among countries on the list of United States’ Reciprocal Tariffs

The United States has imposed tariffs on other countries that also impose tariffs on goods imported from the United States. The US President Donald Trump announced the new policy on Wednesday, April 2, 2025. And the circulating screenshot of list of countries that have been targeted by the United States in its reciprocal tariffs policy includes Malawi. And iVerify Malawi has found that Malawi is indeed among more than 180 countries affected by the decision.

April 3, 2025
False update on the status of petrol supplies

Economy

False

False update on the status of petrol supplies

Malawi Energy Regulatory Authority (MERA) has not issued a statement on the status of petrol supplies.

March 27, 2025
It is false that 1,152,091 eligible voters have been deleted from National Registration Bureau and Malawi Electoral Commission systems

Elections 2025

False

It is false that 1,152,091 eligible voters have been deleted from National Registration Bureau and Malawi Electoral Commission systems

On March 19, a Facebook user named Julius Zimwanda Mithi posted on his page that 1,152,091 Malawian eligible registered voters have been deleted from National Registration Bureau and Malawi Electoral Commission systems. The post claimed that the information was from reliable sources. The claim in the post was later replicated by others and got comments indicating people's concerns about the possibility of failure to vote during the forthcoming election, especially among those allegedly 1,152,091 deleted voters.

March 20, 2025
It is not true that DPP President Professor Mutharika has fired Hon. Mwanamvekha as party spokesperson on Finance in Parliament

Politics

False

It is not true that DPP President Professor Mutharika has fired Hon. Mwanamvekha as party spokesperson on Finance in Parliament

On Monday, March 17, 2025, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for Thyolo Central Constituency Hon. Ben Phiri spoke on behalf of the party on the 2025-2026 national budget statement. That led to the online circulation of a claim that DPP President Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has fired the party's spokesperson on Finance, Hon. Joseph Mwanamvekha for allegedly being behind the Age Limit Bill that the party believes is designed to stop Mutharika from contesting in the 2025 presidential election. The claim was that Mutharika has replaced Mwanamvekha with Ben Phiri.

March 19, 2025
Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not release press statement titled ‘Malawians temporarily banned from travelling to the United States’

Security

False

Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not release press statement titled ‘Malawians temporarily banned from travelling to the United States’

On 14 March 2025, The New York Times reported that the United States of America has placed Malawi on draft list of countries with weak passport security measures, raising a possibility of travel restrictions on Malawian passport holders. Following the article, a statement dated 16 March 2025 and purportedly from Malawi's Ministry of Foreign Affairs circulated online. The statement titled 'Malawians temporarily banned from travelling to the United States' and claims the government has received the news with great concern and that diplomatic efforts are underway to resolve the issue peacefully and swiftly.

March 19, 2025

Security

True

It is true that police in Nkhotakota confiscated 19700 litres of fuel from smugglers

A screenshot of information on Facebook indicated that police in Nkhotakota seized 19,700 litres of fuel. In the circulating screenshot, Nkhotakota Police Officer-in-Charge, Wackison Kandiyero was quoted as saying the fuel comprises 89 drums of petrol and 10 drums of diesel and the fuel was being smuggled to Mozambique through Lake Malawi. The police acted on a tip-off from the public, intercepted the fuel at Kanyangale Port, and arrested two suspects, whose names were not disclosed.

March 19, 2025

Elections 2025

False

It is not true that Professor Mutharika has nominated Walter Nyamilandu as running mate

Both Walter Nyamilandu and the DPP have dismissed the claim. In a statement, Walter Nyamilandu described such claims as malicious and divisive in nature. Nyamilandu urged the public to disregard such fake news and to avoid spreading misinformation. in an interview with Professor Mutharika's and DPP spokesperson, Honourable Shadric Namalomba said the information circulating is just propaganda.

March 19, 2025
No letter from Petroleum Importers Limited to MERA on ‘impending fuel scarcity’

Economy

False

No letter from Petroleum Importers Limited to MERA on ‘impending fuel scarcity’

In a statement dated 17th March 2025, Petroleum Importers Limited (PIL) disassociated itself from the letter. According to PIL, it never authored any letter to MERA. PIL also said it has official communication platforms that it uses to communicate with its stakeholders.

March 18, 2025

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