The Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) has announced a significant resource-sharing agreement with the Electoral Commission of Zambia (ECZ) as part of its preparations for the 2025 general elections. This development, revealed on Wednesday in a statement from Sangwani Mwafulirwa, the MEC’s Director of Media and Public Relations, underscores growing cooperation within the Southern African Development Community (SADC) electoral bodies.
The agreement outlines the MEC’s intention to borrow 1,500 electricity generators from the ECZ to address a critical power supply gap during voter registration. This move is designed to mitigate the risk of interruptions caused by electricity shortages, ensuring the smooth operation of voter registration exercises across the country.
With the MEC requiring a total of 2,945 generators to support its registration activities and only 1,445 currently in its possession, the 1,500 additional generators from Zambia are expected to fill this shortfall. The borrowed equipment is slated to arrive in Malawi next week, well ahead of the registration process scheduled for later in the year.
The MEC’s reliance on resource-sharing agreements with fellow electoral bodies is not unprecedented. In 2014, Malawi borrowed gas lamps and tents from the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission to facilitate its tripartite elections. Conversely, in 2020, Zambia turned to the MEC for assistance, borrowing 2,200 generators for its own 2021 voter registration drive. This reciprocity, nurtured by the Electoral Commissions Forum of SADC Countries, highlights the importance of inter-country cooperation in overcoming logistical hurdles.
Mwafulirwa’s statement highlighted the critical role this agreement will play in ensuring MEC’s ability to execute a seamless registration process for the 2025 elections, even in the event of power disruptions.
As Southern Africa continues to grapple with electricity challenges, such cooperative frameworks could become essential to safeguarding democratic processes across the region.
