Malawi’s political transition has taken an unusual turn: four German Shepherds, prized police dogs, have disappeared from the presidential palace amid a fraught handover of power.
Reports indicate that the dogs vanished from Kamuzu Palace between September 19 and October 4, shortly after former President Lazarus Chakwera left office following his defeat in the September election.
The dogs, valued at roughly $2,300, were reportedly under the care of State House security.
Godfrey Arthur Jalale, Chakwera’s former deputy chief of staff, has been arrested in connection with the theft, though he denies any wrongdoing. Police have also secured a search warrant for Chakwera’s residence after reports suggested the dogs might be kept there.
Chakwera, who came second in the election with 33% of the vote, has not commented on the allegations.
The theft comes amid broader accusations of mismanagement during the handover between Chakwera and incoming President Peter Mutharika, who returned to power promising a “return to proven leadership” in a nation grappling with fuel and foreign currency shortages.
Local media report that state property was also stolen from Sanjika Palace in Blantyre, Malawi’s second-largest city.
Police said Wednesday that investigations into the missing property and dogs have been “intensified” and are “progressing smoothly.”
Meanwhile, Chakwera’s Malawi Congress Party (MCP) accused Mutharika’s administration of harassment, with MPs boycotting parliamentary sessions and camping outside the former president’s residence.
Chakwera, a former pastor and law professor, has kept a low profile since the election, making only occasional public appearances, including a recent Commonwealth appointment in Tanzania.
The theft of state property, including four highly trained dogs, adds a dramatic twist to Malawi’s already tense political climate, highlighting the fraught nature of transitions in power and the stakes involved when politics and crime intersect.
