The Wall Street Journal reports that former President Lazarus Chakwera had the animals moved from the presidential palace in Lilongwe to his private home after losing last year's election, insisting they're part of his personal security detail as an ex-head of state. The clash has escalated into a full-blown legal and political standoff: Mutharika sent 80 police officers to retrieve the dogs; Chakwera wouldn't let them in. The dispute, over animals worth about $2,300, has become a proxy fight between Malawi's rival parties and a window into public fears about the kinds of threats—witchcraft among them—that officials face.
Author: Kate Seamons with Newser.AI
Published at: 2026-01-17 19:23:32
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