By The Forum

Opposition Alliance for Democracy (AFORD) vice president Timothy Mtambo has dismissed speculation linking him to any planned protests against the government, saying he has no intention of returning to activism.

Mtambo, who once led the Human Rights Defenders Coalition (HRDC), said reports suggesting he would join demonstrations against the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government were false and misleading.

“I would like to clarify that these claims are completely false,” Mtambo wrote on his Facebook page, urging people to “leave me alone.”

He said as AFORD vice president, serving under party president Enock Chihana, who is also the country’s Second Vice President, he has no plans to organize or participate in demonstrations against the administration.

The rumours appear to stem from his past clashes with President Peter Mutharika and Vice President Jane Ansah during the 2019 election. Back then, HRDC protests challenged Mutharika’s disputed victory, with Ansah, as Malawi Electoral Commission chairperson, refusing to resign amid allegations of irregularities. The Constitutional Court later nullified the results and ordered a fresh election in 2020, which Mutharika lost.

Mtambo later joined the Tonse Alliance administration, where he briefly served as a cabinet minister before being dropped.

During the September 16, 2025 elections, Mtambo publicly opposed the joint candidacy of Mutharika and Ansah, despite AFORD’s alliance with the DPP.

“At this point, my duty and commitment is to support our party president, Chihana, as he helps President Mutharika in addressing the economic hardships Malawians are facing,” Mtambo said.

“If the Mutharika administration fails, then AFORD fails too—and my party president fails as well. I have no wish to see that happen because Malawians have suffered enough. When DPP and AFORD succeed, Malawi will succeed.”

Mtambo concluded by warning those spreading misinformation to “leave me out of your propaganda.”