Presidential aspirant and leader of the Nzika Coalition, Milward Tobias, has advised Malawians to take the 2025 General Elections as an opportunity for them to rewrite their aspirations by ushering in the type of political leadership the martyrs envisioned.
In his reflection on this year’s Martyrs’ Day commemoration, Tobias observed that Malawi has had political leaders who yoke the nation to corrupt business people who fund their political campaign.
He said this has resulted in a Malawi that is characterized by high poverty and income inequality, food insecurity, poor access to safe drinking water, poor and inefficient transport system, poor quality education, poor access to healthcare, high unemployment, harsh economic environment for doing business especially small and medium scale businesses, demotivated public service, unaccountable political leaders, corrupt political leaders, nepotistic and incompetent political leaders.
Tobias said it is sad that Malawians continue experiencing critical challenges in leadership in which citizens are systematically disempowered while those in power plunder public resources.
“Stories of rampant corruption are common often by the very people entrusted to protect public resources. Politics of regionalism, ethnicity and religion has divided a nation that the martyrs desired to be united. Politics of family ties where the political party is a family estate in which leadership succession is by inheritance, characterize a number of political parties even today. Those in power have systematically implanted in people of their tribe and region that they must not give in power to another region or tribe. Those out of power have systematically implanted in people of their tribe and region that the only way they can access government opportunities is when one of their own is in power. This is not the Malawi that our martyrs fought for and we must, with all energy and commitment fight against this primitive politics,” reads part of his reflection.
He observed that, for the past 31 years since 1994, four political parties and five presidents have taken turns to run the affairs of state, with each party correctly identifying the wrongs done by the other party in power and promised positive change.
Tobias further stated that every succeeding party has either repeated or worsened the same problems it spoke against while outside power.
“We have seen politicians demonstrating competence and hope when out of power yet quickly become the same or worse than those who came before them once they are in power. Some reasons for the stagnation and retrogress are clear and include the building political capital around specific tribe or region; conducting expensive political campaign whose finances are supported by corrupt business people and greedy individuals in return for government contracts at highly inflated prices; using public resources to run political party activities; and using public positions as a reward for political loyalty even when the person is technically unqualified.
“Change cannot start while in office. Change must start with the process of ascending to office. I have said to you, fellow Malawians, that it is not possible to run government with integrity when the process of getting to the presidency was bankrolled by corrupt business people and greedy individuals. None of those in politics now can afford the type of campaign you see. When you receive a chitenje, a t-shirt, a cap, money or whatever materials from politicians, ask yourself where they are getting that money from,” he said.
Tobias concluded by extending his word of gratitude to men, women and the youth who are working very hard every single day to share their message of hope.
He also thanked Malawians who are positively receiving their message and joining the change by taking the message to the next person near them.
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