The strain of overseeing the hotly contested 2025 Tripartite Elections turned tragic on Thursday night when a Constituency Returning Officer (CRO) attempted to take his own life after reportedly failing to deliver on his duties.
Police in Nathenje have confirmed that the incident occurred on 18 September 2025 at around 10 p.m. at the Nkhoma sewage dam.
The officer has been identified as Clement Chikankha, 53, of Chalera Village, Traditional Authority Kaphuka, Dedza District. Chikankha, a Primary Education Advisor (PEA) attached to Nkhoma Teacher Development Centre (TDC), was serving as a CRO in the ongoing elections.
According to police records, Chikankha phoned his colleague, Mr. Donnex Kunthani, an Assistant Centre Coordinator, confessing that he had “failed to deliver well” in his position as CRO and had resolved to end his life.
Moments after cutting the call, Kunthani and others rushed to the dam, where they found Chikankha struggling in the sewage water. He was rescued and taken to Nkhoma Mission Hospital, where he is admitted in a “fair” condition.
Police have classified the matter as Attempted Suicide, under case reference LL/CR/54/08/25.
Election Context
The incident shines a spotlight on the immense pressure facing electoral officials as the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) continues to receive, reconcile, and verify results from across the country.
The 2025 elections have been highly contentious, with both the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) claiming strength in key districts. Civil society and international observers have urged patience, while MEC has stressed that only it has the mandate to declare final results after full verification.
Analysts warn that CROs, who serve as the frontline officials in collating constituency-level results, are bearing the brunt of disputes, allegations of fraud, and public scrutiny. Chikankha’s case, they say, highlights the mental and emotional toll the process is exacting on election workers.
As the country awaits the final outcome, the Nkhoma incident is a stark reminder of the human cost of Malawi’s high-stakes elections.
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