According to the Nyasa Times, a controversy has emerged regarding Malawi's diplomatic oversight following revelations that businessman Mahmood Azhar Chaudhry operated for years using symbols of diplomatic status. Chaudhry allegedly drove vehicles with Corps Diplomatique registration plates, held a Ministry of Foreign Affairs identity card, and maintained a residence labelled as the Pakistan Consulate. The Ministry has since stated that Chaudhry was never formally accredited as a diplomat or consul, leading to the removal of the consulate signage and vehicle plates.
In global health diplomacy, Minister of Health Madalitso Baloyi addressed the United Nations High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS in New York on June 23, UNAIDS reports. Following the United Nations General Assembly's adoption of a new Political Declaration to end AIDS by 2030, Baloyi stressed the need to sustain investments and deliver results for patients across the African continent.
Update: The repatriation of Malawian nationals from South Africa has increased in scale. According to SABC News on June 24, the South African Department of Home Affairs has processed over 8,900 Malawians at a temporary repatriation site in Durban. Additional groups are currently sheltered at church facilities in Cape Town while the Malawian Consulate-General works with South African government departments to finalise voluntary returns and enforce immigration compliance.