Chakwera or Mutharika? The choice between experience and rawness for Malawi

June 21, 2020 Mike Fiko –Nyasa Times 74 Comments

Tuesday’s June 23 elections could be a fulfillment of a development prophecy told in 1998 through the Vision 2020 development plan.

Peter Mutharika, left, of the Democratic Progressive Party, and Lazarus Chakwera, leader of the Malawi Congress Party

In that development plan—endorsed both by then leader President Bakili Muluzi and opposition leader Gwamba Chakuamba—there was a prophecy, a vision, of what Malawi, development wise, will be in year 2020.

The prophecy was:

“By the year 2020, Malawi as a God-fearing nation will be secure, democratically mature, environmentally sustainable, self-reliant with equal opportunities for and active participation by all, having social services, vibrant cultural and religious values and being a technologically driven middle-income economy.”

The key word, in the 1998 development policy, was that by the year 2020, the year we are in today, Malawi will be a ‘technologically driven middle-income economy’.

By definition, middle-income economy are those with $1,026 to $12,475 in per capita and, currently, countries such as Brazil, China, Russia, India and China fall in this category.

Evidently, by any definition, Malawi has missed the 1998 prophecy. As such, we need another prophecy.

What is interesting, however, is that Malawi is searching for a new development prophecy through a 2019 election being repeated, prophetically, in 2020.

To mean, the June 23 elections next week Tuesday is a perfect accident, prophetically put in place to usher in leadership that will rewrite the new ‘Vision 2020’ for Malawi.

The question, then, is: at this critical prophetic year of 2020, with June 23 elections in mind, who, between Lazarus Chakwera of Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and President Peter Mutharika of Democratic Progressive Party(DPP) and UDF alliance, is well placed to take Malawi on a new journey to take up and fulfill the botched 1998 prophecy?

Having been in government for years including being a president, Mutharika is riding on the promise of his experience as bait to woo voters.

In Mutharika, Malawians bore the witness and they are self-evident of what a leader he is, because they have experienced his leadership.  Tired and tested.

In other words, it’s not what Mutharika has said on the campaign trail that will earn him re-election; rather, it’s what Malawians know regarding what he can do, given power, that will keep him in power.

The question for Mutharika then, is: Is there anything, in President Mutharika’s leadership experience, that Malawi needs at this critical period to take up and fulfill the botched Vision 2020?

Chakwera represents the rawness in state craft as somebody who has never been in any government position.

In his rawness, he is making a case of renewed leadership, one that is corrupt free, adheres to the rule of law, enhances national unity and meets the needs of the less fortunate.

Definitely, as Malawians go to the polls this Tuesday, the driving question will stop at choosing either experience which Mutharika personifies or rawness which Chakwera symbolizes.

The choice is yours.

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74 replies on “Chakwera or Mutharika? The choice between experience and rawness for Malawi”

  1. Deadman walking – deadman talking – deadman stumbling – deadman mumbling. Finally, it’s time to bury the deadman at the polls.

  3. It doesn’t require experience to run government, it only requires Vision and being focused. With his so called experience this Country has sunk so low in almost everything. Experience or no Experience, this vote is to deal away with Nepotism, corruption, Tribalism and to promote rule of law which doesn’t require experience. So, whether they paid you to write this article Know that every sane person can see change that is coming after 23 June. Change can not be stopped.

  4. Kodi wonse alayansi
    Iwinila mavotiake ochokela kuti?
    Chilipo apa ndiye
    a onse alayansi akungopelekeza amfumu
    kuledzela basi
    Ikungo wophsya poitchula
    Koma siyingamake
    Ndi dzina chabe

  6. If we are to go by experience then let’s give Peter a chance to finish his last 5 years – as we can see and hear what he is doing and what he plans to do I think he is the right person.. So many roads are being constructed, he is building Comunity Colleges in each District, He is building Stadiums in each district plus the Bullets/Noma Stadiums, 200 Secondary Schools across the Country, Irrigation schemes in all three regions, Water projects etc. But if he fails to complete in his last term then people can have no option but to choose another Leader. As it is now choosing another Leader will mean starting afresh most of the developments which APM has implemented will dumped and they will automatically die a natural death.

  7. The experience of picking Chimulilenji as a vice? He has a Chimulilenji thinking that can not benefit Malawi but him

  8. What experience are you talking about, huh?. we have experienced and still experiencing these things corruption experience, failure experience, nepotism experience, tribalism experience under agogo…so we are not going to vote for Peter!!!! Chakwela Chakwela basi ndi Tonse Alliance

  9. Kamuzu ruled Malawi without experience, – he had to learn on the job. With or without experience the presidency is for everyone.Did Muluzi or Bingu have experience of presidency? As a matter of fact, Bingu handled this country extremely well without any political experience, not even having been a Councillor anywhere.This is why Presidents have advisors who are supposed to be technocrats unfortunately, here we look for those who assisted us in running the campaign as a reward.

    1. Kamuzu was minister of local government under Roy wellensky before he formed the next government as prime minister, later became president. Zofunika experience izi

  10. Tick tock, tick tock counting down. Tonse alliance motoooooooo. Chakwera/Chilima motoooooooo.

  11. Tonse alliance hightable is as follows;

    MCP Mrs Chakwera mtumbuka
    UTM Mrs chilima mtumbuka
    PP Mr Richard Banda mtumbuka
    Aford Chihana mtumbuka
    Petra Chibambo mtumbuka
    Umodzi party Chisi mtumbuka
    Khumbo kachali mtumbuka
    Timothy mtambo mtumbuka
    Secretary General mcp mtumbuka
    Speaker mcp mtumbuka
    Ana a chisiza atumbuka

    It seems tumbukas want to take advantage of the ignorance of chewas and advance their regime change agenda. This is why the tumbuka judges are supporting the Tonse alliance twisting the law in the process.

    All Tonse alliance party leaders are driven by tumbuka force. Kodi inu a central region and southern region what shall you benefit from the tumbuka Tonse alliance?

    1. To: Mkazi azitera kuti akwatidwe.: You are very stupid man indeed. The DPP tribalistic regime has really brainwashed you. The Tumbuka women you are complaining about are Malawians. Chakwera and Chilima fell in love with them and got children together. Is it a sin to marry or follow your heart? The Hutus in Rwanda tried to kill all the Tutsis but they failed. Chewas are not baboons like you; they are civilized people. Tumbukas are not savages like you but civilized people. That is the reason Central region and Northern region voters rejected politics of tribalism, regionalism, ethnic cleansing, and all the isms that your Lomwe tribe is enforcing on Malawians. There are many Tumbuka men that are married to Chewa women. Is this a sin or crime? Intermarriages between Tumbukas and Chewa has been there for a long time. Don’t you wonder why Banda surname is so popular in the Northern region and Central region? These are one people. To you it means Chakwera and Chilima are sellouts because their wives are Tumbukas? Shame on you. It means any Malawian that is married to a Northerner is bad? Tomorrow Chewas are going to answer you at the voting booth, Chakwera will be President, and Chilima will be the Vice President. Chakwera and Chilima Woyeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

      1. There is a different between the two ordeals. One ( Imedi) was killed on broad daylight and there is evidence. The other lacks evidence on how he died ( Njaunju).

      2. Mr hardcore, not to mince words here you are the one who is very stupid, tribalistic and disgruntled too. What Mkazi azitetela is saying is plain truth that even a toddler not driven by tribalistic or regionalistic leanings can observe. It’s only that truth pains.Chewas are being hoodwinked but can’t observe. All tribes are equal and important including Tumbukas and Lomwes but why are you castigating the Lomwes whilst glorifying your Tumbuka tribe and the northern region?

      4. Mkazi azitetera is talking about the composition of the leaders of parties in tonse alliance that they are all tumbukas. There is no issue of intermarriages here. Your Tonse lacks the balance as the high table is only full of tribalistic mbwenumbwenus.

    2. Mkazi azitetera ndiwe galu ,kadzidzi wosokoneza kuzolowera zosankhana mitundu basi ukhaula uwona mxiiiii

  12. There can not be absolutely no comparison between a focused and patriotic leader H.E. Dr CHAKWERA, who is a man of high integrity, and a MBAVAA. Mbavaa is what we have had for past 6 years. No more!!!!!! MBAVAA ACHOKE, AMANGIDWE MBAVAA ONSE YA DPP.

  13. OSAMANAMIZANAPO APO PETER MUTHALIKA HAS NO EXPERIENCE HE SHOULD NOT EVEN WASTE OUR TIME TO THINK HE HAS THE EXPERIENCE MALAWIAN NEED FOR THE PAST 6 YEAR HE HAS BEEN PRESIDENT FOR THIS COUNTRY HE COULD HAVE DEMONSTRATED TO US BY NOW THE EXPERIENCE HE CLAIM TO HAVE BUT GHOSH HE HAS NOTHING NOW AT 83 YEARS OLD HE IS USELESS WITH N OTHING TO SHOW.

  14. Mine is for APM, despite being old but he is peaceful. I don’t want leaders who are full of venom, who can breed violence in various parts of the country including that of Msundwe. I don’t want leaders who can go and celebrate the death of a police officer right at a place he was killed, as well as celebrating rooting in the name of demonstrations. I don’t want a leader from a party whose followers cannot accommodate dissenting views, followers who can strip naked anyone with a party regalia different from their party, I cannot vote for someone who is not sure of what he is going to do to make Malawi okomera anthu onse, I don’t know how the 1 million jobs will be created. What will happen when fertilizer has been universally subsidized? Likely, some vendors will invade the market and buy it even at K10000 and then sell at far much higher like 15000, still it will be cheaper. I can foresee this commodity being scarce and the little that will be available will be smuggled to other neighboring countries.
    MY OPINION

  15. WE WILL VOTE FOR CHAKWERA BECAUSE HIM AND HIS RUNNING MATE, CHILIMA, HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY CAN UNITE THE COUNTRY BY FORMING TONSE ALLIANCE. THEY WILL WORK TOGETHER TO SEE MALAWI DEVELOP. THE DPP AND UDF THEIR EXPERIENCE IS REGIONALISM, TRIBALISM, MULHAKOISM, NEPOTISM, ETHNIC CLEANSING, THIEVERY, MURDERERS, RAPISTS, AND INFINITY “ISMS”. THE DPP AND UDF REPRESENT BLOODSHED IN MALAWI. IT ALSO REPRESENT DOMINATION BY ONE REGION AND TRIBE. WE WILL NEVER SETTLE FOR THAT NONSENSE. WE WILL FIGHT FOR OUR MOTHERLAND, BELOVED MALAWI, UNTIL OUR LAST DROP OF BLOOD. WE WILL NEVER BE FORCED TO GO INTO EXILE—WE WILL STAND FIRM TO RECLAIM OUR MOTHERLAND FROM THE THIEVES, MURDERERS, AND RAPISTS. ALLUTA CONTINUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

  18. The experienced professor who picked Mr Chimulirenji as a vice president to sink Malawi. Should we REALLY stand on our feet as Malawians and EXPECT anything from this Chimulirenji thinking?

  20. I’m for Dr Lazarus Chakwera not an 83 yrs agogo “Agogo Pumani Mwakula” APM your hands are full of blood mmmm Njaunju, Buleya Lule,Albinos, presiding officers of 2019 tippexed results,Mzuzu and Bwengu fatals just to mention a few, this grandipa has bad experience, he was minister of education No freedom in the.colleges, he was minister of foreign affairs, ambassadors and deplomants chased including wa Limbe Leaf tobacco, Mombera university mmmmmm Agogo Pumani Mwakula. No increment for civil servants mmmm. You can’t run the affairs of the nation only puting people from the 4 districts in key positions, Thyolo, Mulanje, Phalombe and Chiradzulo. In capital letters “MY VOTE IS FOR DR LAZARUS MCCARTHY CHAKWERA” Good night.

  21. But if MCP wins then it should owe it to UTM. Inu 25 years kukawina let and you say you have good strategies? Zonee ndi Chilima. That’s why Chilima can give himself whatever position he wants. Remember.

    1. Correction. It will not be MCP winning. Rather, it will be Tonse Alliance. Hatred for MCP will not get you anywhere.

  22. Chakwera is having a meaningful team which can deliver. Agogo is just misusing our tapayer’s money. Frankly speaking he is not delivering, he is oftenly cheated by reports because he is a professor he believes in reports while most ministers do not deliver. He is cheated he doesn’t have the ego to make follow up.

  24. Mutharika yemweyo in office a peace maker. Tawona ma demo a dpp no single shop was broken that is leadership we want and not zinazi zowotcha ndi kupha anthu NO NO NO!

    1. Shielding Jane against the will of Malawians means peace maker, 23rd will tell you that the Chimulirenji thinking of Muntharika made demos strong to redeem Malawi

    2. Because DPP would rather firebomb houses and kill innocent people than damage shops.

    3. Chataika ndiye watayikaditu, mongokukumbutsa kuti ku A/24 anawotcha ndi a Tonse kapena DPP. Ndiwe galu ndi Munthalika wakoyo

  25. I am a royal and dedicated supporter of the Mighty Dpp. I have enjoyed supporting and voting for this party. I have assisted campaigning for this great party until recently when I noted that it has replaced malawians with corruption. It has replaced malawians with lomwe tribe. It has replaced malawians with greediness. It has replaced malawians with their personal needs. I will now vote for Tonse alliance not that things will change but it will enable the mighty dpp to reform. The cancer in the dpp must be amputated. The evil and corrupt leaders must be removed. It will enable my party dpp to learn not to take malawians for granted. It will know that malawi is not one tribe . We need a new dpp which values were Malawi first.

  26. Experience of Dausi and Mchacha in charge of Homeland security and a police service that doesn’t investigate crimes committed against anybody deemed from opposition? Experience of cadets or ana a adadi who are above the law and don’t even get searched by police let alone use legal number plates? Experience of raping of little girls in Nsundwe by the MPS and DPP cadets without even one arrest or even a word from the President? The experience of a young family being burnt alive in Area 24 leading to the death of both parents and 1 child, without the police even opening an investigation because he family is deemed to be UTM members? The experience of presidential bodyguards and first lady building billions worth of townhouse all over town from the proceeds of corruption? The experience of an absent minded 83 year old president who can’t even remember the name of the capital city?

    I choose to vote for change.

  27. Now u are talking sense Mike. There is nothing new that Peter is telling us.

  28. I would rather go for RAWLESSNESS than DESTRUCTIVE EXPERIENCE we have experienced during APM’s reign. In any case you would not know until you test. Let’s try Tonse Alliance. Believe you me they would dare not disappoint Malawians. That would be the end of them. Remember, “You Can’t Have a Second Chance to Make a First Impression”.

  30. I will let every Malawian to choose for me all I am rejecting is tribalism, corruption, nepotism and regionalism, appointments by merit not tribes, rule of law, cheap fertiliser for all, a better life for all, total judicial independence, please choose wisely for me.

  31. Rawness yomweyo kuti wa! wa! wa! wa! Mwanjobvu mu mphechepeche sachita chibwana chopitamo kawiri!!!

    1. you are right,You cant fight for freedoms and multiparty and regress back to a one party system. imeneyo nde Misala. malawians akana chipani cha Nkhanza

  32. Why is the incumbent not touting what he has: his disdain for the rule of law and electoral justice, his insensitivity to rampant corruption ravaging the country, his cluelessness about the direction the country needs to take to be on a path to prosperity (the touted freebies can never develop the country) and his inattention to the need to unite the country so that its people can laser-focus on meeting the challenges it faces as a nation)?????!!!!!!! This is his experience but also his shortfalls. Those that support Mutharika should ask themselves if the candidate they are rejecting had this experience would they have voted for him/her (would he have moved the country forward an inch???!!!!). If this experience can never move this country forward or be the foundation for moving this country forward then why are they voting for him????!!!!!

  33. We shall vote for development. We shall vote for professor delivery. We shall vote for the experienced. We shall vote for peace , tolerance and calmness. We shall vote for APM

  35. None represents the new Malawi that the current generation is yearning for. Possibly, we will have to wait for another 5 years for real change to come. Both represents a generation of leaders who have a different perspective on life as we know it today.

  36. You are an idiot

    Your article is baseless and will never influence our voting, we already know what we want and time is fast approaching to the voting day.

    1. Even me my friend what kind of a person wopita kathokoza anthu kwa msundwe atapha wa polisi this shows LAzaro ndi wakupha ndi chipani chake cha mcp. To hell with it!!!!!!!

      1. If you’re a Police cadet, yes you would be against it. Msundwe is the epicenter of this revolution whether you like it or not.

  38. Chakwera it is! Tonse has a well crafted plan for Malawi. Mutharika has no direction. He goes by the wind and steals quite a lot while dividing Malawians

    1. Have you seen the plan? all they do is copy DPP-UDF and promise things out of thin air. what 1 million jobs? kusetsa miseu? k15000 for the eldery, ndalama zache zopephetsa kwa azungu omwewa? amene akana kupanga fund chisankho. Watched chilimas rally the other day its trash and wishful thinking, more of a rave than a serious political rally

    3. Iwedi ndi Bauleni. Does this look like pro MCP article? You can’t see this article has DPP written all over it

      1. please campaign period elaspsed on sunday 6.00am nobody should sene campaign materials in this site otherwise you wil;l face the consequence

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