This is the year of the Lord 2023. In 2025, just after next year, this country will once again go to the polls to elect a President, Members of Parliament (MPs) and other duty-bearers. As is always the tradition, the political temperatures are beginning to surge.
Currently, the ruling party, Malawi Congress Party (MCP), is a beehive of activity. Various senior members and leaders of the MCP have gone on an overdrive, conducting development rallies across the country.
The rallies are being conducted in all regions of the country, from the Lower Shire in Nsanje and Chikwawa to districts across parts of the central region; to the eastern region as well as the northern region.
The party is assuring Malawians that it is firmly in control of affairs of the country and that President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera’s leadership has so far been faithful to the promises that it made to Malawians, and that it will continue to do so.
The party is informing Malawians that despite the challenges that President Chakwera and his government encountered early on in his first term – in 2020 to 2021-such as the ravaging Covid -19 and the war in Ukraine, the government he leads is still managing to implement programmes to uplift Malawians from the pangs of poverty.
The MCP officials are assuring Malawians that it is only under the leadership of President Lazarus Chakwera that this country can make real progress to becoming a well-respected middle-income nation of the world.
Looking at how the rallies are being received, it is clear that there is the connection between the party and the people. One would not have thought people in areas such as Phalombe, Mulanje and Thyolo, hitherto thought to be a hotbed of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), would be thronging in their thousands to political rallies conducted by MCP.
A few year years ago you could not picture a scenario of a fired up Ken Zikhale Ng’oma singing ‘zivute zitani ife amalawi tili pambuyo pa Chakwera’ along with thousands of people at an MCP political rally in Phalombe. This was unheard of.
It is clear MCP as a party has got the mojo and it is fired up. In a political context where other political parties are busy fighting over who will be their Presidents, or who should not stand at the next convention, it can only be good news for the oldest and liberation political party in the country.
*DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MCP AND OTHER POLITICAL PARTIES*
During a televised interview with Brian Banda of Times Television, DPP Publicity Secretary, Nicholas Harry Dausi made it so clear that the reason why the MCP has survived and outlived other political parties born in the multiparty dispensation is that it is well structured; it respects its structures and does not subscribe to the big man’s syndrome.
He said the MCP is not shy to go to a national convention to elect leaders and does it in a clear manner without hiding in ownership gridlock. He said this is the reason why President Lazarus Chakwera is the President of the party although his linage does not trace to the founders of the party. He said it is because the party is owned by the people. I want to agree with Nicholas Dausi.
It is a fact that MCP is the oldest political party among all the political parties in this country that are still surviving. It is also arguably the most successful. It is a revolutionary political party, which fought for the liberation of the country from British colonialists in the early days of liberation more than 50 years ago.
It is a party in the league of revolutionary political parties across the Sub Saharan Africa such as the South West Africa People’s Organisation or SWAPO in Namibia; the Zimbabwe African National Union – Patriotic Front (ZANU–PF) in Zimbabwe; the African National Congress (ANC); the Kenya African National Union (KANU) in Kenya; the United National Independence Party (UNIP) of Kenneth David Kaunda in Zambia, and the Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) of Julius Nyerere in Tanzania.
It is, therefore, not surprising to see President Lazarus Chakwera and the MCP currently hovering head and shoulders high above all political parties and leaders in the country. It is not something that came by a fluke or word of mouth but through a well elaborated maturity process that can only be achieved over a period of time like vintage wine.
As Nicholas Dausi said, most political parties in the country disintegrate (or zimatha ngati makatani) because they do not respect their own constitutions and structures like MCP does. There is no ownership syndrome in MCP.
For example, the DPP has erupted right now as Peter Mutharika is on a campaign to personalize the party because it was established by his brother, the late Bingu wa Mutharika. AFORD is currently under the leadership of Enoch Chihana, son to its founder, Chakufwa Chihana.
The United Democratic Front (UDF) is currently thinking of electing Atupele Muluzi again as its representative in the 2025 presidential election because he is son to the party’s founder and first President in multiparty democracy, Bakili Muluzi.
Although UTM cannot be said to have been founded by one man, there can never be UTM without Saulos Chilima. In fact, UTM seem to be a one man show. Without Saulos Chilima, there will not be any UTM.
MCP is thus on a sure footing, and no one should not be surprised if the party will be voted back in power in 2025. It is the only party with a very clear agenda for Malawi and Malawians on top of being a well organized political party, with a rich revolutionary history to boot.
*The author is writing in his personal capacity*
