In its efforts to avert voter apathy during the September 16, 2025, General Elections, the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace (CCJP) has started collaborating with community-based structures to mobilize registered voters to cast their ballots on the polling day.
CCJP Lilongwe Acting Archdiocesan Secretary, Fletcher Mbewe, observed that there is general lack of interest and excitement about the forthcoming elections, especially among Malawians living in underserved communities.
Mbewe said this prompted them to devise measures that could help in averting apathy and improve voter turnout.
"We felt it's very critical that we should enhance civic education, promote accessible and transparent governance, and encourage meaningful youth participation in all the electoral processes. And to achieve our goal, we are working with sports teams to educate citizens about their rights and responsibilities in a democratic society like Malawi," he said.
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Social and political commentators have cited loss of faith in politicians and unfulfilled promises as some of the reasons driving voter apathy, with some citizens believing that politicians are not sincere, honest, or competent enough to fulfill their responsibilities.
Yet, in some instances, mis- and disinformation have forced registered voters into believing that the electoral process has already been rigged, leading to lack of interest to participate in the elections.
Mbewe said with financial support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), CCJP is countering misinformation, promoting civic responsibility, and ensuring the popularization of electoral laws.
"We're doing all this through community engagement programs and fostering a sense of responsibility and ownership among citizens. We believe that our intervention will go a long way in averting apathy," he said.
And speaking at Kaigwazanga Football Ground in Mchinji, where Kaigwa FC clashed with Mphepo FC in the CCJP bonanza on Sunday, the CCJP Governance Officer, Felix Kagawa Nakoma, asked the youth to desist from engaging in violence ahead of the elections, but use their influence to demand meaningful development from politicians and other duty-bearers.
Mchinji District Sports Officer, Martin Panyanja, said the sports bonanzas CCJP is sponsoring will help in reducing youth delinquency in the district.
Panyanja disclosed that majority of the young people are idle, a development that drives them into bad behaviors.
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