The Head of State Professor Arthur Peter Mutharika has announced a “private visit.”But here is the question Malawi must ask without fear: How can the President’s trip be “private” to the very nation he governs?

A president is not a tourist. His movements are not personal errands. His absences are not family outings. Every time he leaves the country, the entire machinery of the state shifts around that moment.

There is no such thing as “private” when the presidency itself is public property.

So when an 80-year-old president quietly slips out under the veil of “private visit,” the nation is expected to pretend not to know what is happening.

But the truth is simple: At that age, a presidential “private visit” is almost always a medical appointment.

And that matters.
Deeply.

Because a President’s health is not his private business.
It is a matter of:National security; Succession clarity; Policy continuity; Investor confidence; Public stability; Geopolitical assurance

A president’s heartbeat is tied to the heartbeat of the nation.
If he falters, the country feels it. If he weakens, the system trembles. If he becomes incapacitated, the entire nation enters a legitimacy crisis.

This is why mature democracies disclose the health of their leaders.

Not because they enjoy gossip; but because a nation cannot be governed from behind a medical curtain.

When a president hides behind the phrase “private visit,” he is essentially saying this to his people:

“You must trust me with your lives,
but I will not trust you with the truth about mine.”

That is not leadership. That is paternalistic secrecy. And as Malawi approaches a critical election, transparency is not a favour. It is an obligation.

Malawians deserve to know: Is the man asking for five more years physically capable of carrying the burden of the presidency?

That question cannot be hidden behind euphemisms. Not anymore. The presidency is public. The consequences are public. Therefore the truth must be public.

Because when a leader’s health becomes “private,” the nation’s anxiety becomes public.

The Maravi Post