A modern day prophet in Malawi politics: Ras Chikomeni

For those who believe in an all powerful deity like yours truly, how do you think a true prophet of God will look like in our modern society? Would God send an ultra materialistic bling bling prophet to chastise our materialistic society and it’s leaders, or he would send a humble man, not so pleasing to the eye and without much of a personality.

Well, we can’t guess or second-guess God. God works in mysterious means.

See, I have been thinking. I have been thinking about politics and, of course, prophets.

For prophets of the old were really a bit different from today’s. They were very political and mostly were in conflict with the powers that be. Some prophets were jailed or even beheaded for voicing out some home truths about mighty Kings.

Their chief crime was almost on all occasions, preaching the gospel.

To be a prophet was not a very rewarding job, well save for the guarantee of a place in heaven. Well, it’s a bit different today, to say the least. In contrast, our modern prophets are extremely rich, affluent and mostly showy.

Our elected leaders need a prophet too. And in Ras Chikomeni they find the most secular quasi religious prophet.

Some, of course, think the presidential candidate is mad and probably high on some illegal stuff we can all guess. They said the same about the old prophets.

But from what we have witnessed, there are far too many in the political arena who are loosing their heads than Chikomeni. That some parties have risked loosing elections because of oversized egos is another indictment of why we need Chikomeni to remind them that politics should be about ordinary people.

And Chikomeni teaches us about courage and importance of leaving the comfort zone and presenting ourselves for public duty regardless of our circumstances. His candidature is a call to arms by the masses to take back their country’s affairs from the rich who are only getting richer at the expense of the poor.

If this is madness, as some have disparaged Chikomeni’s candidacy, it’s a good form of madness.

Think about the comedy we witnessed the past week; about the ill-fated alliance between UTM and PP that imploded over infighting over the position of running mate. That episode reminded all that our politics is consumed with self-serving politicians just in for themselves or their children. We have politicians who have turned parties into dynasties.

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So, who is high?

Granted, Ras Chikomeni doesn’t look the act, he doesn’t dress in a manner that tickle everyone’s fancy or speak like or resemble the typical every day politician. And, of course, he is as poor a church mouse who despite all the hype about his extraordinary candidature for the highest office, couldn’t even pay his own nomination fees) and won’t dish out money to buy anyone’s.

If Chikomeni were to contest the elections, he would lose miserably. But there is a reason why people are excited by his candidature.

Look across the field, his rivals include an incumbent who is 78 years-old and has failed to demonstrate a clear vision for the last five years to combat the country’s most pressing woes; a former president who lost an election after presiding over cashgate, went into exile and only came back in time for the elections, announced she was pulling out of the elections only to drop out of the commitment three dsys later; a former vice-president who has never anywhere close to winning in the past and now heads a briefcase party, a vice-president who has been blistering with ideas on campaign trail but was eerily blind to the painful difficulties his administration was dishing to Malawians until he saw the writing on the wall and realised his political future in his party was bleak and started preaching about ills of his former boss.

There is UDF still run as a personal fiefdom of the Muluzi family; forever seeking to negotiate it’s presence on the seat of power. And MCP still trapped by the ghosts of the past– 25 years in the opposition and still counting.

The traditional parties are full of same retired faces. So yes, Chikomeni might not be a revolutionary or a dark horse to win the elections, but he is a prophet, warning that in time, the people will take things in their own hands, and wrestle back control.

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