Anglican Church cleric tells politicians to stop posturing themselves for 2025 presidential election

A powerful Anglican Church cleric says political leaders who are posturing themselves to rule the country after 2025, instead of focusing on development, are pulling the country backwards socio-economically.

Bishop Alinafe Kalemba of Southern Malawi Diocese of the Anglican Church has also warned that the disagreements that have emerged in Tonse Alliance might compound the socio-economic challenges the country is going through and has potential to derail development.

The bishop made the warning during the ordination of deacons and ordinands in Blantyre.

Kalemba said leaders who are obsessed with who will rule in 2025 cannot be thinking of ideas to get the country out of its misery.

Kalemba’s remarks come barely a day after Vice President Saulos Chilima said the Tonse Alliance stipulates that President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera should rule up to 2025 from when Chilima should take over.

But Malawi Congress Party (MCP) secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka has dismissed the assertions that  the Tonse Alliance agreement provides for rotational Presidency.

Speaking during his address to the nation on Friday at UTM headquarters in Lilongwe, Chilima said agreement entails that President Dr Chakwera should be President from 2020 to 2025 and Chilima from 2025 to 2030.

Addressing the media in Lilongwe, Mkaka said the party does not have any document stipulating that there will be sharing of terms between Chilima and President Dr Chakwera.

Mkaka said they will engage all Tonse Alliance partners to ensure that matters raised by the Vice-President earlier in the day are tabled at their next meeting.

He said President Chakwera will be meeting the Alliance partners soon to discuss the matter.

He has since emphasized that, Chakwera and Chilima did not agree to share terms.