Courtesy call to former Malawi presidents: Much ado about just a gracious photo that masks not heals pain

President Lazarus Chakwera isn’t the first Malawi leader to pay courtesy call on a frustrated, angry and irritated immediate former president.

Bakili Muluzi did that in 1994 when he took off time and visited the ailing and tired Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda at Mudi Residences in Blantyre.

It was a courtesy call that, in all intents and purposes, was well received and, of course, we had hope that his successors will take it up as part of cementing transition processes.

Bingu Wa Mutharika killed it all off when he turned into a worst enemy of his predecessor. Peter Mutharika saw nothing but a chattel in Joyce Banda that he couldn’t even, for a second, think of sending a message of goodwill to her.

In other words, the two Mutharikas could be the ones who destroyed the tradition of courtesy which Muluzi started and history need to record that.

Perhaps it is against such a background that is why there is a hullabaloo on social media—especially among millennials—with regards to a gracious photo of Chakwera paying a courtesy call on Mutharika.

The gesture must be appreciated but to what extent? Very minimal. Very minimal because it’s just a gesture, yes, a gesture, without any fundamental issue to be addressed that are affecting Malawians.

Let’s face it: the political differences between Chakwera and Mutharika are all ideological. They are not personal rifts—in the instance of Bingu and Muluzi—that are jeopardizing the progress of the nation. No.

If there is anything, Chakwera’s political battles are within the Tonse Alliance set up where partners there are jostling for power and control. To me,  Chakwera need to concentrate on managing his Tonse Alliance because it’s health is critical for the country.

Likewise DPP. Mutharika has more enemies in his party than outside the party. He need to manage the Kondwani Nankhumwas and get rid of political riff-raffs.

In other words, our biggest political challenge, as of now, is internal squabbles facing Tonse Alliance and DPP. Not between these two. That is why, the meeting between Mutharika and Chakwera should be seen as just one those courtesy calls with little or no value to issues facing Malawi.

Malawians still want answers from the Mutharika regime as to why it let loose it’s fangs to plunder our resources with such a reckless abandon.

One can only hope that, in their courtesy chat, the two opened up to each and agreed to work together to ensure that every coin lost is returned and anyone involved is not protected.

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