A legal challenge brought by the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and three of its MPs against two senior government officials, in a dispute over the Malawi Electoral Commission’s (MEC) headquarters, has been listed to begin on August 17. Contempt charges have been filed against Chief Secretary to Government Justin Saidi and Minister of Lands and Housing Development Chimwemwe Chipungu, with MCP alleging the pair failed to facilitate rental payments for a warehouse used by MEC in Njewa, Lilongwe, in defiance of a court order. The dispute originates from an executive order issued by President Peter Mutharika directing MEC to relocate its operations to Blantyre. MCP and its legislators opposed the move, obtaining a High Court order on 5 June 2026 that halted the relocation and required government to continue paying rent on the commission’s Lilongwe premises. The case is expected to test how the courts interpret compliance with earlier injunctions relating to the relocation dispute, with proceedings due to determine whether Saidi and Chipungu will be found in contempt over their handling of the Electoral Commission’s Lilongwe premises.