Two former Malawian presidents, Peter Mutharika and Joyce Banda, have launched separate campaigns to unseat current President Lazarus Chakwera in the upcoming general elections on September 16. The campaigns are set against a backdrop of severe economic crisis, with inflation nearing 30 percent.

• Inflation in Malawi reached 27.1 percent in June, impacting nearly three-quarters of the population of 21 million living in extreme poverty.
• Peter Mutharika, leader of the Democratic Progressive Party, vowed to "rescue" the country, having served as president from 2014 to 2020 before his re-election was annulled.
• Joyce Banda, Malawi's first female president, pledged to prioritize youth empowerment and job creation, promising to fix the passport crisis and provide motorcycles to unemployed youth.