The government has pushed back against reports that President Peter Mutharika traveled to India for medical treatment, urging the public to depend only on “verified sources” for information. The 86-year-old president left Malawi on October 6 for what officials described as a “private visit” to South Africa, without announcing when he would return.
Officials have not publicly responded to continuing speculation about Mutharika’s health. Since returning to office, the president has made five publicly announced trips to South Africa, all of which the government has characterized as strictly personal visits.
