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).

Chakwera: On an anti-corruption platform

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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Health Worker
Health Worker
5 years ago

May God Almighty ‘be praised for giving us Laz Chakwera

mw
mw
5 years ago

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

dpp
dpp
5 years ago

Chakwera all the way. Ma cadets mukumva naye kuwawa.

winston msowoya
winston msowoya
5 years ago

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… Read more »

THE REAL MCP
THE REAL MCP
5 years ago

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

Gustav
Gustav
5 years ago

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!!

JACKASS
JACKASS
5 years ago

Chakwera you are funny man, am changing your name to Izeki ndi chakwera!! LOOOL!!!!!!!

ULADI
ULADI
5 years ago

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,,,

ULADI
ULADI
5 years ago

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

Napoleone
Napoleone
5 years ago

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,… Read more »

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