Chakwera the clergy and politician: Malawi’s probable next president?
History awaits Lazarous McCarthy Chakwera. He is president of Malawi Congress Party (MCP), leader of opposition in Parliament and next year 2019 is the popular favourite to become the sixth Head of State of Malawi since 1964, after Hastings Kamuzu Banda (MCP), Bakili Muluzi – United Democratic Front (UDF), Bingu wa Mutharika – Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), Joyce Banda – People’s Party (PP) and the incumbent Arthur Peter Mutharika, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Why Chakwera for presidency?
It is simple. The people of Malawi want change and they want it now. He is the man people of Malawi are looking to for meaningful change and a different style of servant leadership. He is principled with powerful credentials befitting someone whose availability is more of a calling than mere ambitions. Chakwera comes across as a brave God fearing man who may offer Malawians much better then the current style of leadership that is full of nepotism,corruption and cronyism.
Some misguided critics have written and stood on platforms arguing Chakwera as a clergy man and therefore may not find it that easy to settle on the First Citizen’s seat, but is obvious that such people are lacking knowledge in the political history of Malawi. All they need to do is revisit and trace the footsteps of political leadership from the times of the Reverend John Chilembwe, father of African nationalist struggle in 1915, founder of the Providence Industrial Mission (PIM) to the birth of the Nyasaland African Congress (NAC) whose first President-General, Levi Mumba was an elder in the Church of Scotland (Blantyre) and religious backgrounds of many that fought for the independence of Malawi.
Kamuzu Banda, was baptized into the Church of Scotland by Dr George Prentice, the missionary responsible for Kasungu before he set to Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) by foot in search of further education in 1915 from where he adventured to South Africa, America and Scotland.
Back home two of Banda’s first ministers – Henry Masauko Chipembere and John Dunstan Msonthi were sons of Anglican priests. John Tembo who Chakwera succeeded in 2014 was also son of a clergy in the Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) Nkhoma Synod.
Lest people forget, the multiparty dispensation still in its infancy was steered by the clergy, the Catholic Bishops who after issuing a Pastoral Letter on March 8, 1992 opened a new chapter in Malawi politics. It will, therefore, not be strange that the consolidation of that long journey is this time be in the hands of Chakwera, a clergy with the capacity to keep Malawi on the right and smooth track.
At the age of 22 Chakwera graduated from the University of Malawi with a Bachelor of Arts (philosophy), Honors (University of the North and the University of South Africa, Doctorate in 2002 (Trinity International University, Illinois, USA and awarded Professorship by the Pan African Theological Seminary in 2005.
Chakwera has worked as an instructor at the Assemblies of God where he later became president as well as co-director of All Nations Theological Seminary and finally President of the Assemblies of God Church in Malawi. His calling to mainstream politics prevailed when he announced he had resigned as Head of the Assemblies of God Church in Malawi effective May 14, 2013, incidentally the day Malawians celebrated the birth of the Father and Founder of the Nation, Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda.
He won the MCP presidency with a landslide on his first attempt to succeed long time veteran politician John Tembo. In 2014 he was declared second in an election vote-count whose legal challenges were not concluded, but called on his followers to forget the past and start preparing for the 2019 Tripartite General Elections.
A religious man who came on the political scene to serve Malawians with love, dignity and dedication as God’s people in the same manner he did as a pastoral servant of the Lord since he completed his studies. Chakwera’s credentials speak volumes on what he has in store.
Millions view him as their only hope, a president-in-waiting prepared to uproot corruption and put to a complete halt all forms of tribalism, nepotism and regionalism, the ills hindering developmental progress 54 years since the country attained independence from the British colonial masters. He is also regarded as a leader whose vision will come to stay for the good of the present and the future.
The tide is on his side.
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May God Almighty ‘be praised for giving us Laz Chakwera
ChakweraChakwera hope Malawi. We are with you wina afune asafune. U r winning with landslide victory. You hv demonstrated you are the only leader we want
Chakwera all the way. Ma cadets mukumva naye kuwawa.
Chakwera,you have abandoned the work of God to amass financial wealth and not care about the people and your followers.Whom are you cheating? Evangelism was just a coverup job which has become an international trend.It is not Chakwera alone the list is unending,We had Abel Muzolewa and Rev. Banana both from Zimbabwe entered politics.C.Banana and Muzolewa both ended up in fake luxurious political positions as Presidents of former Rhodesia.Disgracefully,Canan Banana ashamed the whole country and his former religious entity for soddomy which landed him into prison.What amazed me most,Chakwera when taking over after Banda’s demise,he did not utter even a word to condemn Banda for his atrocious barbarity against the Malawian people.why couldin’t he condemn Banda for his ungodly brutality against sons of God? Personally,I have very little respect for Chakwera and his leadership of Malawi Confusionist Party (MCP).
Chaks what do you mean by you a leadership man and a vision for this country?? You cannot even fix your MCP HQ!!!! Bloody windows are removed/ walls are broken/ roof has collapsed! Rats have taken over most of the offices/ water bills are not paid/ city rates not paid/ clerks not paid/ you should be embarrassed my fellow man!!! You are shameless/// greedy to steal/ no one is going to vote MCP, khalani ku dzuwa!! Kkkkkkkkkkkkkk
Chakwera you also speak of tribalism? But your MCP is from one particular region, does that not make you and your loyalists tribalism as well???? You say you God fearing but you also a great liar, you guys are going to burn in hell for all the lies you preach!!
Chakwera you are funny man, am changing your name to Izeki ndi chakwera!! LOOOL!!!!!!!
Akuti he won MCP by landslide, hahahahahahahahahahaha well no one wanted the bloody post!!! Does that make sense now??? Hahahahahahahahah Chakwera pay people to write more stories, you are a real comedian, today I laughed my head off,,,
Kikikikikikikiiki,hahahahahahahahaha a religious man who joined politics!!!! Does that sound like a visionary person to me???? Never!!!!!! What a pile of bullshit!!!! Chakwera you are a very desperate man!!! Hahahahahahahahahahahhahahaha akuti a religious man!!!!! OMG I laughed today
Kikikikikiki. What? Which Chakwera is going to be the president of Malawi? God is never mocked, he run away from the calling God wanted him to do, saving souls. We have respectable men of God who are commanding. America for example but none of them can go for presidential race. Nigeria none of them can quit the altar. Our own bishops, none can quit the altar, because their calling is not to rule a nation. Chakwera cannot be trusted. He agreed with the K4billion in parliament, yet he failed to respect that which he agreed, went out and join demo, yet now he has the share of the same money. I have never heard any manifesto of MCP, what is it that can change peoples hearts? It is not just because some people want to change so that they can steal too. Better the devil we know, after all the way we suffered in 31 yrs of MCP we can’t go back, it’s like welcoming slavery. The writer is PR of Chakwera but wasting time boy.
The Gospel of John chapter 19 verse 6 states the truth will be told from the back and thou shall move forward: meaning MCP in reverse PCM= PLEASE CHASE MIA.
Chakwera has failed, no one is going to vote for MCP, everybody is talking about it. Why vote for a party that has been in the dessert for 33 years! What is the first thing they willi do is STEAL!! Anthu aku Dzuwa,
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha Chakera is a failed politician and fake priest and how can one say he has a vision?? The Man has a fake bloody stupid accent. Come on guys get real!!! He must tell his supporters what he has to offer, not just the opposite of the government.. To me his a looser and MCP will cry come 2019! What does the prophecy say??? DOOOOOM FOR MCP!!!
Reasons I endorse Rev. Dr. Lazarus Chakwera as the best leader of Malawi 2019 going forward:
1. I have personally known him for the past 30 year or more as a consistent God-fearing leader. There are people that I have known as Christians for some time and their faith has dissipated over time. Not so with Dr. Chakwera.
When I first met him he was in his late 20s and from that time to-date I have been pleasantly surprised by his
consistency as a true Christian man. I still get amazed by his consistency of faith even now that he is a politician. Many people cease to live by Christian principles the moment they cross the line into politics. For this, I personally endorse him for the presidency in 2019.
2. Secondly, Rev. Dr. Lazarus Chakwera is a highly educated and exposed man who graduated from Malawi’s top-notch learning center, Chancellor College, a constituent college of the University of Malawi. from Chancellor College he also went to some top theological institutions in South Africa and America where he went for his post-graduate training. I have also known Dr. Chakwera as a alumnus of several top-notch leadership training institutions in the world among them Hagai Institute of Singapore where he has also served as a visiting trainer for decades. He has also sat on various boards at national, regional and global level. For those who care to know, Dr. Chakwera has been mightly used of God to develop the Assemblies of God as one of the fast growing evangelical churches not only here in Malawi but Africa and the world over. The setting up training institutions of higher learning has been on of his major contributions to the church.
3. Thirdly, MCP, that Dr. Chakwera is representing, has a track-record of being a development conscious political party. Like most writers have commented over the recent years, to this day, most of what Malawians have known as development was either implemented or designed by the MCP regime. And since MCP went of out of power many development initiatives have either collapsed or are in a state or deterioration. Talk about the five institutions of the University of Malawi, Chanco, Bunda, Kamuzu College of Nursing, Polytechnic and College of Medicine. Most of them have become a mere shadow of their past in terms of quality of learning and facilities. The infrastructure has deteriorated, the teaching and learning facilities are dysfunctional and usually scarse. Think about the civil service, companies and industries that used to provide employment to youth. Think about the booming agricultural industry that has collapsed. Think of large tobacco, tea, cotton, etc estates that used to employ youth straight from college and have now collapsed. Think about the natural forests that have been depleted. Think about such a critical youth program called MYP that absorbed, in one way or another, almost all youth that were not able to continu with primary, secondary and tertiary education etc.
4. Forthly, as he has always argued, the current MCP and the context in which it is operating, is very different from the old MCP. The current MCP is a reformed party that has welcomed leaders from other parties and the majority of them are young people whose leadership style is different. This is particularly important knowing that the majority of those who caused pain among Malawians can now be spotted holding influential positions in the so-called “new” political parties that were formed in and after 1992. It would, therefore, be unfair to associate the modern MCP with the one-party-system atrocities knowing that none of them are holding leadership positions with the current MCP. It is important to note however, that the four cornerstones of unity, loyalty, obedience and discipline are timeless principles that need to be maintained if Malawi will ever regain its lost glory culturally, politically and economically. I personally don’t blame the party for maintaining these. With the right leadership in place these principles are an asset that Malawians cannot neglect in its effort to rebuild its nationhood which is at the verge collapse. I can as well argue that minus the four cornerstones Malawi cannot grow socially, politically and economically. MCP and Malawi in general need some value system.
5. MCP, initially called Nyasaland African Congress (NAC) up to 1959, that Dr. Chakwera represents in the next general elections, has an amazing history as a political institution. While almost all political parties have generally turned into family or tribal parties, MCP has maintained its image as a national party. Think about how it has switched leaders across regions in the past 60 years or so according to D.D. Phiri, Daily Times, Sept. 21, 2016: a) It was founded in 1943 by James Fredrick Sangala from Zomba (whose portrait appears on the MK100 note). However, when the party went for its first convention in 1944, the convention voted in Levi Mumba, from Mzimba, as its first president and James Sangala accepted defeat but continued to be a faithful member of the party. When Mumba died tragically in 1945, Charles Matinga, Mumba’s vice, from Blantyre, took over as its president up to 1949 when he was momentarily replaced by James Fredrick Sangala during the convention of that year up to 1950. In 1950, James Chinyama, from Ntcheu, took over from Sangala as President of NAC up to 1953 when Sangala came back to serve as its president up to his retirement from politics in 1956 when he handed over the mantle of presidency to TDT Banda from Nkhata Bay. Banda’s leadership abruptly ended in 1957. It was at this point that a group of young educated people within NAC, calling itself “Young Turks” decided to invite Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, originally from Kasungu, then practicing medicine in Ghana, to assume leadership of the party from August 1958. It is Dr. Banda with support of young people like Orton Chirwa, Kanyama Chiume, Rose Chibambo, Masauko Chipembere, etc who worked hard until Malawi became independent in 1964. When, in 1994, Dr. Banda was voted out of power and MCP went into opposition, he handed over the party to the Gwanda Chakwamba from Nsanje. This was surprising knowing that most Malawian thought that John Tembo, from Central Region, was the most likely person to take over from Kamuzu Banda. From Chakwamba the leadership controversially went John Tembo from Dedza and in 2013, to Lazarus Chakwera from Lilongwe.
My point here is that Dr. Chakwera is representing a party that, historically, does not belong to a region. It is my sincere hope and prayer that after Chakwera, MCP leadership is going to cross to another region. This, as my readers will agree with me, is a strong point that separates MCP from any other party currently operating in Malawi. The tendency among most parties in Malawi is perpetuating family power by handing
over party leadership to blood relatives or close friends.
6. MCP is the only party that is committed to democratic processes of electing leaders in positions of leadership. So far, this is the only party that has put its leaders in positions of leadership through a well organized, though highly legally contested, elective convention. It was even amazing that during the convention, the voice of the people prevailed when it became clear that only people from one region were being elected to positions of leadership. In a spirit of statesmanship and brotherhood delegates decided to share positions across board to ensure a national leadership spectrum. We did not hear about of violence or tensions as a result of this decision. The story is different in other parties where conventions have either taken place are still on the cards. Violence during elective conventions has become a norm.
7. By saying this, I am in no way suggesting that Dr. Chakwera and his MCP are perfect. No. MCP and its leadership still have many things to work on to make sure that the party becomes what people expect it to be. For, example the perception that the party if for people of Central Region, is the notion that the party needs to deal with the soonest, since, historically, MCP has always been a national party. Leadership has always switched among the three political regions. This, to me, has been the secret of its long life. This is the tradition that the current crop of leaders must take seriously. They should be prepared to graciously pass the leadership mantle to people from other regions whenever leaders of high calibre emerge either from the South or the North because, after all, these are regions that gave birth to the Nyasaland African Congress the predecessor party of the MCP long before Dr. Banda became its president.
I, therefore, appeal to Malawians to give MCP and Dr. Chakwera a chance in 2019.
Kent Y.G. Mphepo – Blantyre (0888435629)
@KentYGMphemp:
Nice arguments there.
But just a reminder … just as the Nazi Party, will for ever be associated with Adolf Hitler; the MCP will for ever be associated with Kamuzu Banda. And so, anybody following in the footsteps of Kamuzu Banda, as leader of MCP, cannot avoid the association with the brutal Nazi style atrocities of MCP, and of Kamuzu’s dictatorship era. Full stop.
Despite the favorable personal attributes of oChakwera, as you have described them, he’s simply hampered by the record of that dictatorial regime and it’s recorded (AND UNRECORDED BUT CREDIBLE EVIDENCE MUCH LIKE THAT AGAINST HITLER’S ACOLYTES’) crimes of human rights; the crimes of extreme nature even by African standards of the era when Kamuzu ruled!
There is simply no way around this: those who witnessed that era cannot, and will not, fail to pass on the history to younger generations.
0Chakwera would possibly be electable if it wasn’t that MCP albatross around his neck. But he won’t be President because of MCP, and not in spite of it.
Indeed, it might have been a mistake, in typical Malawian deference, when MCP was not simply abolished at the advent of democracy. In most other places in this world, MCP would have been abolished or sued into extinction; and its office bearers of record prosecuted competently, imprisoned and sued into bankruptcy.
And you know what, MCP could have renamed and re-branded themselves as a step towards reconciliation, but they chose not to.
Blood Pressure yanga ikukwera!
Pepani oMachemba kuti BP yanu yayamba kale kukwera wawa! The truth of the matter though is that MCP is part of our history and we are all part of that history. It is wrong to blame a few people while we all know that we were part of the story. It is wrong to think that only those in MCP need to change. All of us need to change. This explains why even UDF, DPP, PP, AFORD, etc. still find themselves acting like the former MCP. One-party system is in our blood. Both UDF & PP did not like the idea of an opposition party. DPP is now working very hard to obliterate opposition parties despite Malawians voting for multi-party in 1993. To them the multi-party dispensation does not exist. You know what I mean? The one party system was not a few people’s choice. It was a Malawian decision. It was an Africa-wide decision. It was a Third-World-wide decision. All Third World countries – China, Mexico, India, Haiti, you name it, adopted it. Very important to remember. DD Phiri told me recently: “it is childish to blame the one-party system one person, Dr. Banda. If we take that position, we will have another question to answer: How about the One-party States in all African countries from as early as 1960s? How about one-party states in the rest of the Third World?
This is the question that I am asking you Mr. Machemba today: Did MCP or Dr. Banda start the one-party state in all African and Third-World countries? Any answer? Sir?
But, nonetheless, I respect your opinion. That’s what democracy is all about.
Cheers!
Kent Y.G. Mphepo – Blantyre
@KentYGMphepo:
Agreed, and the “ris” or respect is reciprocated.
_ But we should take away the unnecessary broadening of your argument by expanding the spheres of dictatorship in Africa, the Middle East or even Asia. We are not complaining about what happened elsewhere; we are strictly discussing our country, Malawi, and Kamuzu ruled Malawi.
– Just because there were dictators elsewhere, does not make it right that Kamuzu was a dictator here. Just because Idi Amin killed many of his countrymen does not make it right for Kamuzu to have killed many Malawians.
– And I am not of the opinion that One (strong)man rule is in our blood or DNA, as Malawians. That is what that dictator used to justify his grip on us: only to be rebuffed soundly in the referendum. He accepted defeat, not because he was humble, but rather because he had lost the levers of power in his dotage.
-If we were always to judge human crimes only by the standards of the time they were committed, many criminals would never face justice.
-Ok. I see you are not even trying to defend MCP; suggesting that you agree with the thrust of accusations leveled against the Party. If so, because a Party is only an entity, people (officials) have to take responsibility. No?
TBC?
oM
I think it is this habit of blaming the old MCP and what they did in the past that is why Malawi is poorest at the moment, aMalawi is it time to let BYGONE BE BYGONE, azibambo please stop acting like a bunch of bitches always complaining about the past. I also suffered becoz of MCP but for the sake of myself & my children I have forgotten about the past and I am willing to give Dr Chakwera a chance, lets give this man of God a chance and lets get rid of these thieves, corrupt DPP out of govt. ONE PARTY, ONE CHANCE, UDF 1 chance-failed , DPP 1 chance-failed, PP 1 chance-failed – UDF, DPP,PP have all failed us malawians, lets try new blood in govt, a man of God MCP. The biggest problem is that the men in malawi have no “BALLS” you just crying like a bunch of little girls, its time for BOLD ACTION NOW. KUPUSA BASI AMALAWI, its time to show these politicians that we malawians are not as stupid as they take us for. #VOTE OF BRAINS 2019.
Chakwera is a good choice because Mutharika is a bad choice. That is the only reason. I have yet to see any legislation that Chakwera has successfully pushed in parliament as leader of the opposition. He gets paid tax payers money like Mutharika. He has not spoken against the quota system, a system that brutishly discriminates against fellow Malawians. How can you lead a people you mistreat? Journalist should ask him if he would like to be discriminated against on any issue affecting his quest for the presidency.
As long as there is government instituted discrimination, corruption is here to stay. He will be caught up in it too. MCP ought to go through truth commission process akin to the one led by Desmond Tutu in South Africa.
If wishes were horse!
This country desperately need God fearing man like Chakwera. Munthu oti azichita manyazi ndi kuba. Waulemu, wakhalidwe, wokongola.
Zones zikumuyenera
for a change its good. I wish too a change although I have changed so many times but the results are similar. what is the problem. is ti that we are a poor nation or leadership problem.? we have seen all the past presidents who have done recommendable work in one area and not in another area.
Secondly, I hope majority voters have the same reasoning becoz I feel they have also their own rational decisions on who can be the next president in 2019 or the same should continue t0 rule until 2024.
their is also the Chilima movement
The walls of Jericho shall fall down and the Israel shall be set free!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
In Jesus Christ name the president to be after 2019 May Elections is Chakwera and Mighty MCP off course why not, zinazi tatopa nazo we have learnt a bitter lesson this time no matchona ,God have mercy.
If wishes were horses……… Mwangosowa chonena.
Chakwera ndi Deal. Everyone in Malawi now agrees that its time to give this man a chance to clean this country of the mess left behind by the grannies and their babies. Surprisingly, the grannies think they deserve another chance while babies claim they can be different from their grannies-nonsense. We need new blood in government and NOT DPP team B. We need new ideas and not the current Mulakho where chief Ngorongoliwa controls state affairs like his village. We need sound policies that will revive our economy to automatically attract genuine investors. You can NOT beg investors by organizing investors forum when the country is in dark for days/weeks/months. Investors will naturally come when they see improved business environment which include better services and improved economy. No investor would want to invest in a country where people are very poor with all the money being in the pocket of the aged president and his cronies like Ben Phiri and Mulli. Malawi will one day rise to the occasion and make an important decision that will change the country for the common good. Lets Vote these thieves out of government. Both Grannies and Babies are theives who are in the same government.
He is the only hope and hopefully God will guide Malawi to vote him and see some changes on the local scene. Wishing Chakwera all the best.