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The National Organization of Nurses and Midwives in Malawi (NONM) is heading into its elections under a cloud of suspicion, with allegations that its leadership is attempting to block one of the presidential candidates from contesting.
The claims have raised questions about the independence of the electoral process just days after the closure of nominations, with concerns also emerging over the resignation of the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, George Nkhoma, who is now himself a presidential candidate.
George Nkhoma, Baxter Chirambo, Frank Louis Kamwendo and Benson Edwison Phiri are contesting for the NONM presidency in elections scheduled for November 27, 2026.
The controversy follows an announcement by Electoral Commission chairperson Ganizani Thyangathyanga that the commission will take up to a month to scrutinise nomination papers before publishing the final list of successful candidates.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lilongwe earlier this week, Thyangathyanga said the scrutiny would determine which candidates had met the requirements to contest.
NONM executive director Chifundo Colleta Zimba, who attended the briefing, urged nurses and midwives to actively participate in the elections.
But paid-up NONM member Tonex Mkwezalamba, a nurse-midwife technician at Lilongwe District Council, has accused the Electoral Commission and the National Executive Committee (NEC) of playing a hide-and-seek game over Kamwendo’s candidacy.
Mkwezalamba claims the leadership is attempting to find grounds to prevent Kamwendo from contesting, particularly over membership arrears.
“I do confirm (they are planning to block him). When Kamwendo wanted to pay the arrears, he was initially blocked that they cannot process his payment while in the past years, another candidate squared the arrears for 2 years for him to stand and was allowed,” Mkwezalamba told us.
He also accused the executive director Zimba and NEC of influencing the electoral process.
Mkwezalamba: every eligible member must be allowed
“My concern is that the closeness of the NONM executive director to the NONM Electoral Commission will compromise the credibility of the elections,” he said. “The ED and NEC are working together on this. This is where the challenge is.”
Mkwezalamba also questioned the involvement of individuals who have held other positions within the nursing and midwifery regulatory structures.
He claimed the candidate whom the leadership allegedly favours (Nkhoma) had previously been appointed to the Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi and later became chairperson of the Electoral Commission before resigning.
Nkhoma resigned and subsequently joined the presidential race.
Mkwezalamba said the circumstances had fuelled suspicion among members, particularly because some election-related communication has allegedly been coming from the executive director rather than directly from the Electoral Commission.
On August 1, 2026, Mkwezalamba, together with Innocent Kambalame and Alice Matchado, wrote Zimba seeking clarification on the rules governing Kamwendo’s eligibility.
Among other issues, they asked which constitutional or legal provision prevents a member from contesting after settling outstanding arrears.
In her response, Zimba rejected the suggestion that her office determines who can contest elections.
She said the executive director’s office does not formulate, amend or alter the NONM Constitution but only implements its duties in accordance with existing constitutional provisions.
According to Zimba, the power to amend the constitution rests with the General Assembly under Chapter X, Article 31.
On candidate eligibility, Zimba said the executive director’s office has no mandate to nominate, select or propose candidates. She said eligibility is determined by the NONM Constitution, particularly provisions under Chapters III and IV.
Recently, former NONM president Dorothy Ngoma, who led the organisation from 2010 to 2018, questioned the timing of Nkhoma’s resignation from the Electoral Commission, given that he is now contesting for the presidency.
“If he had issues, he should have resigned earlier and given the nurses time to come together, discuss and decide the way forward,” Ngoma said in an interview recently.
Ngoma said the timing could affect members’ confidence in the electoral process, particularly those seeking an explanation for the sudden change.
She, however, stressed that she could not verify social media allegations that the resignation was connected to attempts to influence the election.
Ngoma: It could damage members’ confidence
But she warned that such claims, whether true or false, could create suspicion and damage confidence in the process.
“People are asking questions and some are even saying these people want to steal the vote,” Ngoma said.
Ngoma also urged nurses and midwives to participate actively in the elections, saying the credibility of the process would ultimately depend on members’ vigilance and participation.
Mkwezalamba has similarly challenged the NONM leadership to guarantee a free, fair and credible election by allowing every eligible member who meets the requirements to participate without discrimination.
Zimba and Thyangathyanga were yet to comment on the allegations at the time of publication
