Court blocks nurses’ elections in Malawi
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Malawi24
Two nurses obtained an order suspending the leadership elections of Malawi’s National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives, scheduled for around 27 November 2026. The measure will remain in force until their challenge is examined, according to Malawi24.
Two nurses, Frank Kamwendo and Benson Phiri, obtained an order from Malawi’s Industrial Relations Court preventing the National Organisation of Nurses and Midwives of Malawi (NONM), the national organisation for nurses and midwives, from holding its forthcoming leadership elections. The vote scheduled for around 27 November 2026 is suspended until the dispute is resolved or further instructions are issued by the court, Malawi24 reports.
The two candidates are challenging their exclusion from the race for the positions of national treasurer and president. They say the NONM electoral commission excluded them for reasons related to membership requirements and the absence of continuing professional development (CPD) credits, whereas the organisation’s constitution adopted in 2022 does not impose this requirement. They also maintain that they are registered nurses, up to date with their dues and have been members of NONM for more than three years, according to Malawi24.
Frank Kamwendo and Benson Phiri are asking the court to declare their disqualification unlawful, recognise their right to stand and order the reconstitution of the electoral commission. They are also challenging the legitimacy of its chairman, Ganizani Thyangathyanga, whose appointment was allegedly made by his predecessor George Nkhoma rather than by the biennial general assembly or national executive council, in accordance with the NONM constitution. The two candidates further accuse Nkhoma, himself a presidential candidate, of having participated in their disqualification, according to Malawi24.
