An Open Letter to the Incoming DPP Govt: “Deliver a Different DPP.”
Dear President Arthur Peter Mutharika and the Democratic Progressive Party,
The September 16 elections have delivered you a mandate, but not the kind you might think. The voting patterns reveal that Malawians did not vote for the old DPP—they voted for change itself. Even opposition candidates with minimal campaigns received significant support, demonstrating how desperately citizens want alternatives to failed governance. This is your warning and your opportunity.
Understanding the Mandate
This electoral victory is not a reward for past performance; it is a conditional trust placed in your hands. Malawians have called back the DPP not because they forgot its failures, but because they believe it can transform into something better. The mandate is clear: deliver a different DPP—one that is transparent, disciplined, and genuinely serves the people.
The previous Chakwera administration offers a sobering lesson. Despite entering office with overwhelming popular support, it quickly lost credibility as citizens faced worsening hunger, prolonged fuel shortages, endless blackouts, and runaway inflation. Political capital evaporates rapidly when governments fail to deliver tangible improvements to people’s lives.
The Crisis That Demands Action
Malawi today is a nation of squandered potential, where our institutions have been systematically hollowed out by corruption, incompetence, and willful neglect. Our hospitals have become deathbeds rather than centers of healing— understaffed, understocked, and stripped of dignity, while patients die from treatable conditions. The civil service has collapsed into dysfunction, with demoralized workers unable to deliver even basic services to citizens who desperately need them.
Key state enterprises like NOCMA, MERA, and the Fertilizer Revolving Fund have become synonymous with scandal and broken promises, their credibility shattered by years of mismanagement. Regional imbalances persist as stark reminders of unfulfilled pledges, with the North still waiting endlessly for promised developments like Mombera University and Orton Chirwa International Airport. Perhaps most damaging of all was the infamous Bridging Foundation scandal, which exposed how easily the entire government could be fooled by international conmen who exploited our desperation and walked away with millions while ordinary Malawians continued to suffer.
Meanwhile, our natural resources—the very foundation of our potential prosperity—are being pillaged through illegal mining activities while existing mining deals shortchange the nation, our agriculture sector withers despite fertile soils, and our abundant freshwater resources remain tragically underutilized when they could feed not just Malawi but much of Africa while generating desperately needed foreign exchange.
These are not abstract policy challenges—they represent the daily reality of millions of citizens who have watched their country’s potential slip away through incompetent leadership.
Non-Negotiable Expectations
Malawians are not asking for miracles; they simply want competent governance that treats their lives and resources with respect. This means ending the culture of corruption and waste that has made headlines worldwide—no more fertilizer bought from butcheries, no more public funds looted through dubious deals, and no more foreign swindlers like those behind the Bridging Foundation scandal exploiting our government’s naivety.
Citizens expect you to restore credibility to our key institutions through swift, visible reforms that demonstrate real change rather than cosmetic adjustments. The collapsing healthcare system must be rebuilt as the foundation of civil service reform, proving that this government can deliver life-saving services when it matters most.
Fair access to empowerment programs like NEEF must extend to all Malawians regardless of political connections, while long-overdue promises—especially to neglected regions— must finally be fulfilled.
Our natural wealth demands immediate protection and proper stewardship: illegal mining activities must be stopped and existing mining deals renegotiated to ensure Malawians receive fair returns from their own resources, while our agriculture sector requires comprehensive revamping to unlock the potential of our fertile soils.
Most critically, our abundant freshwater resources represent an untapped goldmine that could transform our economy— with proper development, we possess the capacity to feed not just Malawi but much of Africa and beyond, generating the foreign exchange earnings that could fund our development dreams.
Beyond these immediate repairs, Malawians need jobs for unemployed youth, food security, stable fuel supply, and affordable prices in markets, all while ensuring that security and justice protect every citizen rather than just the privileged few.
Most fundamentally, this government must guard Malawi’s sovereignty against exploitative international agreements and govern with the humility that comes from understanding that power exists to serve people, not to enrich those who hold it.
A Warning About Allies
As you form your government, beware of the opportunists already rushing to align themselves with power. Malawi does not need praise-singers or political chameleons who shift loyalties with electoral winds. Surround yourself with honest advisors who will speak truth to power and prioritize national interest over personal gain.
The Path Forward
President Mutharika, this is more than another term in office—this is your second chance at history. You have five years to prove that lessons have been learned, that past mistakes will not be repeated, and that integrity will guide every decision.
The Malawian people are watching. They are weary of excuses and empty promises. They demand leadership that delivers measurable improvements to their daily lives. If you succeed in this transformation, they will stand with you. If you fail, they will not hesitate to speak again through the ballot box.
The choice—and the responsibility—is entirely yours.
The time for campaign promises has passed. The time for delivery has begun.
With expectation and resolve,
A concerned citizen
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