The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has challenged State Vice President Michael Usi to resign if he believes the administration he serves in is crippled by corruption and poor governance.
The ruling party accuses him of political opportunism, saying his attacks on government are aimed at boosting his presidential bid rather than serving Malawians.
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Speaking at a rally in Blantyre on Monday, Usi, who is also president of the Odya Zake Alibe Mlandu, accused the current administration of being compromised by corrupt elements and political interference.
“The president is the leader but when he gives instructions, directives, not all directives are carried out. People sit down to discuss the directives and even sabotage the directives and yet they go unpunished. That is what is the problem,” Usi said.
Addressing a press briefing at MCP headquarters in Lilongwe on Tuesday morning, the party’s Publicity Secretary Jessie Kabwila said Usi’s position was secured through a political alliance agreement with the late Saulos Klaus Chilima of the UTM, and not his own mandate.
“He shouldn’t behave as if he was picked in his own right. When we lost the late SKC, we could have gone our own way, but we respected the alliance and kept the promise. He is in that position because of our respect for SKC and the agreement we made. If he no longer wants to be part of this government, he is free to leave instead of benefiting from its resources while attacking it,” she said.
Kabwila described the Vice President’s accusations as politically motivated now that he is on the presidential ballot.
“It is hard to understand how someone can ride in a government motorcade, funded by taxpayers, travel on roads built by this government, and then turn around to say the same government is corrupt, without showing any evidence. This is clear opportunism to gain mileage. If he has proof of corruption, he must present it. Otherwise, these are fabricated rumours designed to smear the campaign,” she added.
Kabwila also pointed to President Lazarus Chakwera’s record of transparency, including regularly answering questions in Parliament and personally inspecting development projects.
She cited the President’s recent trip to the North to assess an unfinished road, promising that contractors are already on the ground to complete it, a project she said past governments ignored.
“The MCP government is committed to fixing that road because we know poor infrastructure affects healthcare, economic growth, and everyday life. When roads are bad, expectant mothers take longer to reach hospitals, goods take longer to reach markets, and whole communities remain cut off from opportunity. That is why the President went there himself, to show commitment and action, not just talk,” said Kabwila.
Meanwhile, Usi still maintains Usi’s comments have stirred intense political debate ahead of elections, with the MCP insisting it will not be derailed by what it calls smear tactics and unverified claims.
Usi insists that national development should take precedence over personal ambition, declaring his willingness to step aside if it serves the interests of Malawians.
