// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
Malawi opposition demands answers over president's prolonged stay abroad
This is President Peter Mutharika's fifth visit to South Africa this year
Malawi's opposition has demanded an explanation for President Peter Mutharika's prolonged stay in South Africa, as the country struggles with fuel shortages, power cuts and economic difficulties.
The 86-year-old Mutharika left Malawi on 6 October, for what officials described as a private visit. This is his fifth visit this year, with limited information made public on each of these trips.
"Malawi is at a critical moment, and there is a need for decisive action," the opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) said.
Information Minister Shadric Namalomba has denied that Mutharika's absence had created a leadership vacuum.
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Mutharika returned to power in October last year after defeating then-president Lazarus Chakwera.
He previously governed Malawi between 2014 and 2020.
His latest absence comes amid growing public scrutiny of his frequent visits to South Africa.
On Thursday, MCP campaign director Moses Kunkuyu told journalists in the capital, Lilongwe, that the opposition was not questioning the president's right to travel for personal reasons but wanted Vice-President Jane Ansah to address the nation over the country's mounting challenges.