Speaking the unspeakable: MCP never wins general elections …just good enough for opposition!
“Leadership is not about the next election, it’s about the next generation” – Simon Sinek.
The once mighty Malawi Congress Party (MCP) since its formation in 1959 and after it banned Nyasaland African Congress in 1964 so they (MCP) can be the only political party in the then new Malawi, MCP has never won any election.
For MCP to be in power in 1964, they didn’t win any election. Power was just handed over to them on a silver platter by the colonialists. They never got it democratically.
From 1964 to 1992 MCP had had arrested all the founding fathers, Orton Ching’oli Chirwa and Aleke Kadonaphani Banda on trumped up charges. The number of people they have killed in the period they have been in power is huge and shocking. Anyone with dissenting views was killed and fed to the crocodiles.
In 1992, the wind of change had blown the skies of Malawi and MCP was challenged and was called to a first electoral battle after Malawians has had enough of enough and spearheaded by the Catholic Bishops a referendum, which was basically aimed at asking Malawians if they wanted MCP to continue ruling Malawi as a monopolist political party, and in 1993 the then mighty MCP lost with a landslide.
The 1993 referendum ended the one-party system and a special assembly ended the life-term presidency, stripping the MCP and its leadership of most of their powers. MCP became irrelevant to the modern Malawi.
In 1994, MCP had a first general elections. This time they had no power to ban any political party as they did with Nyasaland African Congress. They had no choice but to go to the polls and face the political music. Featuring Akimu Kamkhwala Mtunthama Banda who was otherwise known as Dr. Hastings Ngwazi Kamuzu Banda on the ballot paper.
The Ngwazi who was dubbed the “Lion of Malawi,” the “Destroyer of stupid federation,” “Nkhoswe Number One,” “Mchikumbe Number One,” and Father and Founder of the Malawi Nation” ran for president in the democratic elections and was misearably defeated.
The Ngwazi and not the MCP publicly apologised to the people of Malawi for all the atrocities and pain that the Malawian people went through under his draconian and iron fist rule. Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda died in South Africa on 25 November 1997 a peaceful man.
With all its dark history, the now toothless MCP had to continue.
In 1999, MCP went to the elections this time with Gwanda Chakuamba. They lost, again.
In 2004 MCP featured John Tembo against UDF’s Bakili Muluzi’s handpicked economic engineer Bingu wa Mutharika in a general elections and again MCP was floored.
Then, in 2009, MCP decided that they needed to go into a political electoral partnership with their sworn enemies the UDF with whom they shared an enemy in DPP after Bingu wa Mutharika left the party that propelled him to the corridors of power. John Tembo and Muluzi lost. MCP lost yet again.
In 2014, MCP was transformed and became a new re-branded party, well according to MCP, and has had a new kid on the political bloc in a revered Reverend Dr Lazarus Chakwera and went to the polls with renewed beliefs and energy hoping to wrestle power from Joyce Banda but the story ended the same way. MCP was defeated again.
By the way, I must say it here and now that I like Dr. Chakwera. He is an upright man in my opinion, but I think he is in a wrong party. A cursed entity and a doomed political grouping.
Through the three decades of defeat after defeat, political pain and anguish, MCP has always been the cry baby always singing the “Atibela song!”
Well, it looks like MCP will forever sing this “Atibela” song.
Has MCP ever sat down as a party and do a postmortem and try to find out why they have never won any election since 1959?
As Albert Einstein aptly said; “Doing the same thing over and over again, and expect different results, is stupidity,” has the MCP changed it’s tactics or they are just doing the same things over and over but expect to win?
There are some men who are just good at being bachelors so are some women who are just the best fit for spinsters. These are not good for marriage materials. In the same vein some political parties aren’t good ruling party materials – they are just good in opposition.
Kodi MCP ikadzawina chisankho chikubwerachi ndiye otsutsa adzakhala ndani? Awawa ali ndi experience yabwino pazotsutsatsutsazi. Tiyeni tiwapatse a MCP ntchito yomwe iwo anatha kuyigwira bwino. Lawyer sangalembedwe ntchito ngati makaniki.
Putting MCP in power again is like marrying a prostitute who was divorced because she was sleeping around for money that she doesn’t even need.
MCP is like Kanyenya, very good to be eaten at the pub but st home. At home we need ndiwo not Kanyenya, end of.
MCP does not know how to win elections. They will not win any elections, at least not anytime soon.
The only way MCP will go back into the government as a ruling party is perhaps when the Chinese will colonise Malawi and after years of fighting for national independence for the second time, the Chinese will hand over power to MCP as was the case in 1964.
So as Simon Sinek rightly said “Leadership is not about the next election, it’s about the next generation,” let us not be bothered about who will win the next general elections in May 2019, let us think of a leader among the bunch who is capable of taking us beyond the walls of State House – a leader who will give us tomorrow and not the past.
Bingu wa Mutharika, fondly known as Chitsulo cha njanji, he was a great visionary leader I must say, once said: ” The past is for us to learn, the present is for us to act and the future is for us to prepare,” and truly to Bingu’s words let us act now and prepare for the future. Let us learn from the past but the past must remain in the past.
By the way, one is not a good leader because his father or his brother was a good leader as my grandfather, The right Reverend Cannon Jonathan Jeranji once told me; “No matter how tall your grandfather, father, mother, brother, sister is, you will have to do your own growing up because people will judge your height based on how tall or short you are..”
Malawi is for all of us and not a family or village or tribal business. Let us vote for an energetic leader who will work for us and take our country to the next level and not a Zimmer frame pushing person who is past retirement age.
If MCP was a good democratic party, they still would have been in power today. We ousted them out not because we hated them but because they were very bad and devilish.
In Tanzania Chama Chamapinduzi is still in power since after independence on December 9th in 1961 and Tanzanians still vote for them. ANC in South Africa is still in power since 10th May 1994 after apartheid and ZANU PF is still in power since independence on April 18th, 1980.
Fellow Malawians let us vote wisely in May 2019 for “we did not borrow our nation from our ancestors, we owe it to our children and the future generations.”
Blakaka speaks.
Adios!
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The author has misstated facts here. Go back and read Malawi History between 1958 and 1964 and come back with a correct version of your article. We are eagerly waiting.
Rubbish article. Twisted history. MCP did not ban African Nyasaland Congress. ANC was banned by the colonial government. Orton Chirwa formed MCP to replace the banned ANC. For the author’s information MCP competed against Christian Democratic Party of Chester Katsonga among other parties.
Thats why Malawi is messed up as is
Minister of Justice UTM hehehe – komatu kuli mbutuma kunja kuno
Mbuzi ya munthu makolo ako anangoluza fees ndithu. Chitsiru chosadziwa mbiri ya dziko lake lomwe. ukuyenera kukhala waku simongoliya iwe.
That`s true Peter Makosa, Malawi needs a youth and energetic leader in the name of SKC. I know that chilungamo chimawawa but what you have written its the truth MCP as a party has done alot in the past , alot of people ha lost their lives and so is DPP. We need new blood.
Energetic president without a vote is hard.Maloto achumba,akulu ife atilamula yani kodi? Keep on drinking and see what will happen of your young kid on the block
Grammar please abale hee? Loads of errors one wonders if the editorial work was done. We can do better. Check your work before publication This is very embarrasing.
Poor reasoning
Peter I would advise you get your facts right before writing an article. You seem to be ill fed, wrongly informed or in short you don’t know Mw history. Come for free Mw history lessons and basic African politicle studies
The author of the article shows he’s biased . The examples given, ANC and ZANU PF indicates his politicos ignorance . The two parties are full of dictators .if HKB. Had know that he was going to looseelectionsanddecided to be a typical dictator , he as going to rig election . Praise be to GOD cause age took control and he lost. The politics played by ChamaChamapinduzi is a one off and no other African country will ever try it and continue ruling
My brother please come for free political lessons without bias
The writer is quite right despite the counter arguments by the MCp diehards. All this while they were sleeping until Kasakula and his crew jolted them into action. A party that is vying for pole position should look the part. If one has to contrast the out reach work of MCp and other parties you see MCp struggling in the south. Self denial is killing MCp. Only when MCp wakes up and build up the party in the South will it win elections but this fire fighting strategy of choosing a running mate from a region and thinking you will win elections is a dream.
Sato, you are a rotten dpp die hard that will commit suicide come 2019
I would like to comment on your piece Mr Makossah. To start with, you are sternly subjective in your writing. I thought writers art to be objective. The history of Malawi since 1964 is not a good one, but we cannot blame Kamuzu for all the wrong things that happened. We give our respect to those people that fought for democracy, a dispensation in which ideals such as the rule of law, expression of opinion, protection of life and liberty, and freedom to hold property run supreme.
It is true that leadership should be about the posterity, but in our country there has never been a leader that ever accomplished this. Today leadership is about survival of the party and accumulation of wealth. No wonder we have 80 year olds running for presidency when more than fifty percent of the electorate is less than forty.
I like the way you put it in the context of the killings. You said, “the number of people they have killed while they have been in power is huge and shocking”. I see, but this sounds exaggerated. I mean, can you quantify the number. Is it more than those killed by the colonialists from 1891 to 1963? To be frank with you, I think the colonialists committed more cold blooded heinous murders than the Kamuzu regime you loathe.
I will not critique all of your writings, so I will simply pinpoint a few areas. The political landscape of Sub-saharan Africa is indifferent in that the majority of the electorate is illiterate or semi illiterate. To add to that, most elections lack credibility in terms of fairness of the electoral process. As such, political operatives who are in power simply have to dangle some carrots to these voters to get their votes. The ANC wins on this strategy. Because majority of the voters are illiterate or semi illiterate, election campaigns are not based on substance. That is why campaigns are full of empty promises. Political party presentation is based on racial or ethnic/tribal inclination not political ideology. You can not differentiate between the MCP of 1975 and that of 2019. Majority of the voters in MCP are younger, perhaps in their 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. The majority of MCP voters just like other voters vote party tribal inclination. In matters of fairness, these voters have nothing to with the naughtiness of the John Tembo’s MCP dirty dealings. To be frank with you, I do not understand why you say MCP is bad and devilish. I don’t even think there is any party that is bad and devilish. If there is one, God forbid, it should be banned.
@Roll Out ATI Now:
Amen. And so, MCP should be or should have been banned!!!
achindere inu
In 2019 Malawi will tell a new story and sing a new song. Under UDF and DPP Malawians have suffered alot. Poor education, poverty, stuck healthcare system, poor economy, road accidents have terribly put Malawians in state of despair. Their hearts and souls are broken and they are breeding every day. There has never been a corrupt and tribal government as DPP. Mature and honest Malawians know that the people who tarnished the image of MCP are now in DPP and UDF .i.e Ntaba, Dausi and the old District Chairmen who were kicked out and quickly absorbed by DPP. Bakili was an Administrative Secretary of MCP while late Chakuwamba was head of MYP. Those were the organizations that terrorised Malawians in the name of MCP and Kamuzu. What Kamuzu did was to apologise on their behalf because the too were too stiff necked and proud to apologize. Bakili at one meeting told Malawians that it was Chakuwamba who killed Sobala with a 14 pound hammer. He didn’t implicate Kamuzu or MCP. Kutsaila was asked to bring evidence to Parliarment of murders by MCP and Kamuzu he failed. God allowed Jews to be taken into Babylon did mean he had not broken the promise He made to their forefathers. The king of Babylon should not cerebrate the captivity of God’s people. Soon He fulfill His promise and free His people (Malawians) from Nebuchadrenezzar, the King of Babylon. Its a matter of months. Wakuva, ave
Your personal hatred Peter Makosa on MCP will never take you anywhere! You are UTM but you’ve shown your ignorance and cowardice. Its not zoloweza, even bigger teams like Man city, Liverpool, Arsenal, Leiceter city, Juventus, etc……….stayed more than 20 years in their lifetime but won higher leagues in their lifetime. Its not the cowardice you are expressing here that makes a political party choice to win elections on its wish, its Peoples selection. You cannot predict what will happen in next few hours ahead of you but you are writing as if you are the creator, your example of Chamachamapinduzi is irrelevant, why have you skipped Zambia where Michael Sata stayed more than w0 years and let alone won general elections that people like you stayed mouth zipped because of selfishness?
Inu muphulika MCP ikawina because it clearly shows that you are banking your hopes on Chilimas style of stealing and you foolishly believe Chilima adzabera! Mark my words, Chilima will not make it and inu mudzaphulika a bambo Peter Makosa!
Achimwenewa a makosa wa now I doubt if this law study will help him … too petty and basic … reasoning as lucious banda or some comedian
Not even good enough as opposition. Chakwera has done nothing as leader of opposition (LOO). He has been sleeping, not capitalising on the many mistakes DPP has done.
Chakwera could not even take DPP to the cleaners on the following (just to mention a few):
1 – 145 million fraud
2 – 50+1 vote
3 – 577 billion unaccounted money (The Baker Tilly Report)
4 – Inflated infrastructure projects (especially roads projects)
5 – Nepotism
6 – ESCOM black outs
7 – ESCOM theft of fuel
8 – And many others
Chakwera as LOO should have capitalised and gained political mileage if he had capitalised on these and took the DPP government to the cleaners.
SKC has challenged DPP government and made them to ran around like headless chickens in 4+ months than Chakwera has done in 4 years and 6+ months he has been LOO.
atokhala munavotelako MCP..Awononga nganuwo
. Germany Hitler killed 6 million Jews, but now Germany and Isreal have good diplomatic relations, After the genocide in Rwanda people have decided to work together and develop their nation. After spending 27 years in prison Mandela invited those who imprisoned him to form a government. After committing adultery and killed a person, King David still became a lineage through which Jesus was born,.Even after Kamuzu apologized to the nation for all atrocities that were done in his name. We still have people who hold the grudge. The good thing is that there are millions of Malawians who love and support MCP, these are the people who believe that it is people who should be held responsible not the organization.
very wise comment, THAT’S WISDOM, AGENDA SETTING THEORY
Don’t shoot the messenger. The writer has a point and has proved it right I can see. MCP has never won any election in Malawi. No formula is needed to prove this statement because it is a fact. In 2019, they would still say “atibera mavoti”. Who wins next years’s elections I don’t care, as long as it’s not MCP, home and dry. Case closed
Go and read your history again. In 1961 General Elections MCP beat United Federal Party of Blackwood and Christian Democratic Party of Chester Katsonga. Nyasaland African Congress was banned by the colonial government on 3rd March, 1959, the day Dr. Banda and hundreds others were arrested. MCP replaced Nyasaland African Congress. How could it have banned a party in 1964 that had already been banned in 1959? Did we have NAC in Nyasa/Malawi in 1964? My foot!
fundoless
Zotumidwa. Za ziii. Writing with a form of inborn hatred.
Not worthy it.
The most stupid article for a decade of years
Poorly written article ,disjointed sentences dude does not even know how to use ” have had” ,” has had” .My English teacher at Nachipere would cry a river.Ife tinatophunzirako Primary ya Kamuzu.By the way ,do you even know that in 1961 there was a Legislative Election which MCP won with a landslide.That’s why Dr Banda became a Prime Minister anatowina ndi aphungu ambiri iyitu ndi History ya Primary.Not surprised munatophunzira sukulu za Atcheya.Ati ife ” timakhala mbali yowina nthawi zonse” .Zachibwana basi..
Ha ha ha lawyer watumidwa ndi bwana wake Lucius Banda. Lembani zonyoza koma inuyo a Pitala Makosa kumbukilani kuti past mistakes is there for us to learn from it. If we go by your past life starting from your upbringing, its had for someone to believe that you are now living in England and also getting high education from a University in Nottingham. MCP mukuinenayo was bad just as you were before but now you are a changed better family man. MCP nayonso inasintha.
Mukiti awa ali ku University? the sad thing about UK University education system these dys is not like it was in the past. anyone these days can get a degree from UK,. That is why this idiot can write such trash. He does not even know that the first multiparty elections in Malawi took place in 1964.
Are you good enough in writing this article?
Mr Columnist, I agree with 90% of what you have written in this article. Reading between the lines you seem to suggest that we should vote for Chilima. I second that opinion. If MCP were to be voted into power they would want to revenge the vices that we are hating the DPP for, namely, Tribalism, Nepotism, Cronyism, and worst of all, Dictatorship of the tyrannical type (this is already manifested in the way the party is run).
Peter Makosa, well. In your wisdom, it is good vote for corrupt people like UTM, PP, DPP, UDF and others expect MCP just because for the reasons in your article. Let me tell you this, malawians are going to put MCP back in government because service provision during MCP was good health, education name them. Katangale tatopa naye. UTM leader ndi amene adapangitsa kuti school fees ikwere ndi ma reform ake aja. Malawians are not ready to put in power another person coming from same parties of mbava. Voting chilima in power it’s not change. It’s the same udf then dpp then pp then back to dpp. Tizingo zungulira pomwepomwepo ife. Zeroooo. It’s time we want to reward Chakwera for being with the poor since 2014. When Chakwera was called wamisala chifukwa chonena muthalika Prince of theives adalikuti pumbwa wankonoyo. Nkesa m’menemo akudyera ameneyu. Today, he cannot claim a hollier.
Kumeneko ndiye kupusako Mcp ikutenga boma zanuzo ziliapo
Stupit fool
But chances of MCP forming the next government in 2019 are high.
what a stupid and a senseless type of writing which is to me full of hate.
Uwu ndiye umbuli timanena uja, do your research again. When were the first multiparty general election in Malawi (Nyasaland) and who won the majority of seats in parliament which led to to Dr HKB becoming prime minister of Nyasaland in 1963,
Anawa sakudziwa kuti kudali zipani monga United federal party,MCP, ndi zina but MCP won
koma eeeeeee kuli mpungwepungwe agalu inu 0ludza amene angawine MULUNGU. akuwadziwa inu muyangula mkutopha palibe chingakutandizeni olo musingokhasula nkhamwa zanu zonungazo kuwina DPP ikulamula izalamulilaso kuwina MCP isalamulilaso kuwina UDF isalamulilaso kaya ndi UTM kuwina iyenela kulamulilabe basi ‘ so guys let me tell stop talking bullchet;