Malawi constitutional crisis: Don’t harm Vice President Chilima

On Thursday, news broke that some people in the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) plan to bump Vice President Saulos Chilima off so that a favourite of theirs can take over power in the event of President Peter Mutharika’s death or incapacitation.

President Peter Mutharika with the VP Saulos Chilima
President Peter Mutharika with the VP Saulos Chilima
 
Section 87 of the Malawi constitution empowers the Vice President to take over if the president dies or is incapacitated.
 
When President Bingu wa Mutharika died in 2012, DPP found itself in a quandary. Without warning, the party was faced with the grim and sober reality that power was going to slide away from its grip. And slide it did.
 
German philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche, floats the theory of eternal recurrence which, in short, says all existence has been recurring, and will continue to recur, in a self-similar form for an infinite number of times across infinite time or space. It seems to dawn on the DPP rank and file that events of 2012 are in the process of repeating themselves, in line with the theory of eternal recurrence.
 
But this time they do not want to leave anything to chance. If the president gets incapacitated or dies, they will hide the news long enough until they have sorted Chilima out. Only then will they come in the open to announce the death.
 
Why kill him? Why not simply write a letter in Mutharika’s name and dismiss him?
 
It’s because Chilima can only leave the position of Vice President in three ways: impeachment, resignation or death. Since impeachment is tricky and has little chance of succeeding – besides, you have to have real reasons for impeaching him or the courts will quash the decision –; and also since he is unlikely to resign – he has no reason for doing so – the only surest and quickest way to remove him is death.
Some powerful cabinet ministers regard Chilima as an intruder. One, he is not from the Lomwe tribe, the president ethnic group. And two, he does not hold any position in the party. These powerful ministers, especially from the Lomwe belt, want Chilima out of the way as quickly as possible.
 
Now-you-see-Mutharika-now-you-don’t
 
For the DPP cadre to press the panic button, it started with the annual non-mandatory presidential trip to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). Mutharika’s departure was just as secretive as his entire stay in the United States.
 
The government totally refused to disclose the number of people that had gone to attend the conference. We only heard through the grapevine that some – like bodyguard Paulos Chisale – allegedly took along with them girlfriends, the bill footed by the government, of course.
 
For a few days of his stay in the United States, we saw Mutharika attend some functions and make speeches here and there. For instance, a photo of the president chatting with former United States president, Bill Clinton, was widely shared, as were photos of him receiving some dubious award from a dubious Nigerian magazine.
 
But all that came to a stop as abrupt as the black-out by the Electricity Supply Commission of Malawi.
 
A well-placed source in New York told me: “We were all preparing to meet the president the following day. He had several other activities lined up. Then suddenly, we were told that he was unwell and that the doctor had recommended a bed rest. From that point onwards, no one was allowed to see him.”
 
Like that game of kamwayi-kamunthu or now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t, Mutharika had disappeared.
 
Dead or alive?
 
Back home, hysteria mounted. In these days of advanced technology, the country’s temperature is measured through social media. The hashtag, #bringbackourMutharika began to trend on Twitter and Facebook.
 
The government deliberately decided to put a black-out on Mutharika’s news. The Minister of Information, Maliseni Ndau, kept saying the president was continuing with meetings in the United States. What sort of meetings, the government could not say. Had he, perhaps, taken days off to see his three children who live there? No, Ndau said. Was he seeing friends in the countryside, since he lived there for forty years? No. What then? Yada, yada, yada, Ndau huffed and puffed.
 
Theories abound, the most plausible of which was floated by barrister Allan Ntata: President Mutharika was taken ill. It was discovered that he had a brain tumour. Doctors made a decision to operate on it, to nip the tumor in the bud as it was at its earliest stages. When the president stayed two days in a comma, the inner circle went into panic. That was the time rumours began to circulate that Mutharika had gone to meet his Maker.
 
That was also when they decided to be highly secretive about it. They needed time to bump off the Vice President so that they could take over power and continue plundering the nation.
 
Let the rule of law prevail
 
It would be stupid of the DPP to think that they can kill Chilima and get away with it. The world is watching. Whether it’s through some dubious car accident or sudden disappearance or poisoning, it will no longer be a secret. One text message sent in error to a well-meaning Malawian has exposed all that. 
 
 If Mutharika is incapacitated, let the rule of law prevail. Don’t think you’re too clever. The eye of God is watching you.

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Mchewa wangwene
Mchewa wangwene
8 years ago

You can fool some people sometimes, but you cant fool all the people all the time. God sees the unseen and reveals the hidden agendas. He revealed what Moses did behind peoples eyes but all was revealed. They (DPP) have tried to bring mayhem in MCP so that there is no strong opposition party that can roast them after succession but they have failed. Now turning to Chilima is their last hope. But let them try. We have the army that upholds the constitution to high standards.. The army have the duty to protect the people of Malawi. If the… Read more »

Zulu boy
Zulu boy
8 years ago

The Truth let it be said to you, the people of MALAWI, Mr Mutharika is not the president of USA. He should come back home to do his duties. A lot of things have been on stand still because of his absence. Malawi is not a private company where the executive keep things secretive indefinate. Millions of peoples lives are in his hands …. leadership come out clean

Glory Karim
8 years ago

God help our malawi and protect the president where ever he is ,his Vice and the entire nation . Please have mercy on our country

Abeat Minthu
8 years ago

There will be a day when DDP.gurus will end. APM is the last Alomwe and Muntharika to protect The thieves. If.they are stupid let them try. Chilima is our hope. Military and police should protect him for the sake of our nation. Blood will be shaded If u touch Chilima. U should be thankful u are exsisting DDP because of Chilima.

Binnwell Kachikopa
8 years ago

DPP IS THE WALKING DEVIL, ASK HUMANE, IMRAAN SADIKI, LOTTIE AND THEIR DPP BLIND FOLLOWERS TEAM. RECALL WHAT I HAD BEEN SAYING THAT DPP NEVER LEARNT A LESSON IN THEIR MOSE WALERO DEATH WHOM THEY EXALTED AND PRAISED AS IF HE WAS THE ONE WHO BROUGHT RAINS RESULTED INTO BUMPER YIELDS IN 2008. VERY SOON DPP WILL BE OUT OF ACTIVE LINES FOR THE SIMP.E REASONS.1. THEY HAVE KILLED ENOUGH INNOCENT PEOPLE. 2. THEY DONT KNOW GOD SANGALORE KUMANZUNZA A MALAWI CONTINUOSLY, 3. THE PARTY HAS ALOT OF CASHGATE FOOLS WHO ARE CONTINUING STEALING OUR MONEY, 4. DPP IS ALWAYS… Read more »

Kyala
Kyala
8 years ago

Dpp thugs we say. Always thugs from top to bottom. It is serious!!! Typical lomwe thugs as usual.

Malawi
Malawi
8 years ago

Why Kill Chilima. If God is for him who can be against him. Chilima is a husband, father brother etc. What do you think of his family? We trust God for his protection. God will continue to expose you crooks. Malawi needs to develop. Chilima is the one to do that. All you are thinking is about yourselves. Trust me. All of you will end up in Maula. You think Chilima is stupid. This guy will led Malawi according to the Bible. Pray this is not true about our President or else no jokes with Chilima. Mubweza those houses you… Read more »

Bob Mugabe
Bob Mugabe
8 years ago

But suppose all the events take place, such that the DPP has managed to take Chilima out by killing him, wouldn’t it mean that the Speaker would be the one to take over the presidency? When I last checked, the Speaker is the MCP vice president, does it mean that DPP will hand over the presidency to MCP just because they do not like Chilima? Is this what is stipulated in the Malawian Constitution?

santana
santana
8 years ago

Why is the reporter failing to expose the cell number which sent the assassination message? The opposition supporters are trying every means to weaken the DPP by the time we reach the 2019 elections. But are you really confident that these propaganda will work? Campaigning through Nyasa or phones will achieve nothing. The supporters of the ruling party can not be swayed by the mud slinging on its leadership. They are silent and waiting for the 2019 elections to show you another triumph. They are confidently assured of the victory because there is no alternative party apart from the DPP.… Read more »

anti-santana
anti-santana
8 years ago
Reply to  santana

Typical tosh from DPP supporters! Point here is where is the President? Can you answer this simple question? He should be back home resolving problems the country is facing, not in hiding. Why waffle without any objectivity in your arguments? People like you is the reason the country is where it is now – unending black-out, no water coming out of taps, hunger etc because you support numpties…

mchisala
mchisala
8 years ago

The outcome speculated upon would not be a bad outcome for the country!

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