Runningmates and ruining-mates or ‘combining of nyusesi’: Malawi 2019 presidential race
The dust has just settled after parties presented their nomination papers. The interesting part of the process was the unveiling of presidential runningmates.
Runningmates are integral parts to the presidential campaign. They can add colour and panache to the presidential candidate or ruin the campaign. This is why in this article I want to separate runningmates from ruining-mates.
I will concentrate on the top five parties DPP, MCP, PP. UDF and UTM in alphabetical order. No offence to the others like Ras Chikomeni Chirwa and Smart Swila. They did not seem serious and it would only be fair to treat them thus. Nothing more nothing less.
My focus will be on three elements. Whether the runningmate adds value to the pair or not, whether the candidate has the right experience and education or not. And finally whether the candidate can assume the role of a president in the event the actual president got incapacitated.
DPP: Mr Everton Chimulirenji
His name was kept a secrete until a few minutes to the nomination presentation ceremony. He was actually picked at Ginnery Corner to join President Peter Mutharika in his open roof vehicle. Many seemed shocked because he not from the DPP innercircle. The media has presented a narrative that his appointment has brought disquiet in the DPP because some big figures like Kondwani Nankhumwa, Bright Msaka and Chimunthu Banda were sidelined. But that won’t change the decision so somehow they have to live with it.
However, the fact that there is discontent in some quarters within DPP means it will be toll order for Peter Muntharika to sell the runningmate.
Because he is less known, the media has subjected him to alot of scrutiny. They want to know his education background which so far looks very questionable. To think that Mutharika’s DPP which popularised the idea of higher education for a presidential candidate would go for someone with questionable education beats logic.
It’s clear that Mutharika’s choice was inspired by need for a docile runningmate compared to Vice President Saulos Chilima who challenged Mutharika on mismanagement. He comes across as a pupet candidate without ambition, without charisma which is very dangerous for this country.
Because in the event that the president is incapacitated it does not seem like he can manage the role of a president. His education is low. His public personna and self esteem look too low as well.
On this basis it is fair to say he adds less value to the campaign apart from the fact that he is from central region in Ntcheu. Of course, the DPP thinks his choice dispels the myth that DPP is nepotistic and Lhomweish. But it doesn’t. Because one appointment cannot balance up the many Lhomwe’s that occupy high positions in government. If anything, this appointment affirms nepotism because through Chimulirenji the president is caught unsuccessifuly trying to hide it.
His only asset for runningmate is his loyalty to DPP. And if you believe in speculation it is being rumoured that Chimulirenji got backing from two most powerful people in Peter Mutharika world; wife Getrude Mutharika and aide Norman Chisale because they are related in one way or another.
Despite these disadvantages, Chimulirenji is an outsider who has no connection to the corrupt political figures. This means he is a presidential running mate candidate who would not be manipulated or blackmailed by corrupt elements. He has a clean record.
Runningmate or ruining-mate? It’s up to you.
MCP: Mr Mohammed Sidik Mia
Many believe Mia bought his way to become MCP vice president and Lazarus Chakwera’s runningmate. It is no secrete that he brought a lot of resources to the MCP campaign. But that’s not a crime. The crime would be if he were doing that with the aim to capture government. That after winning elections he would use his power to compensate himself on government contracts. That would be criminal.
But his appointment was done well before the presentation of the nomination papers. The advantage with that is that it brings stability and assurance in supporters. Voters are already farmiliar with him. It serves their campaign well. And he brings to MCP voters from the lowershire, assuming they love him that side.
The fact that he has served in ministerial positions before now means he has the right experience to step up and be the first citizen in the event the president is incapacitated.
However, the downside with that is that he has been nomadic politician. He has served in UDF, DPP and PP. It is thus fair to say Mia has nothing tangible to offer. If he had it in him, he could have contributed it in the previous regimes but he didn’t. He didn’t stop corruption or at least speak against it. He was probably part of it or benefiting too. With him at the helm Malawi will not go foward but be back to what we have now.
On the basis of this it is fair to say Mia is not in the MCP runningmate role to help the poor of this country. For him it is just a game it seems. The presidency is something he can buy with his money. That’s dangerous.
Runningmate or ruiningmate? It’s up to you.
PP: Dr Jerry Jana
Jana has good education and a track record in high profile management positions . He has held big positions at MCCCI and Admarc. This gives him great experience to run government business in the event the president got incapacitated. But his track record is blighted by corruption because he left Admarc after a corruption scandal.
And to team up with Joyce Banda is another problem. Joyce Banda has proved deceitful in the manner she changed from supporting Chilima in a coalition to standing on her own. It is believed she left because UTM did not guarantee her son would be made runningmate. This shows she is not in politics to help Malawians but to help herself and close family. This means Jana is just a pawn in her scheme. So for Jana to accept to be runningmate to such a character speaks volumes about his character. He has no morals nor decorum.
Rinningmate or ruining-mate. Once again, I leave that to you folks.
UDF: Mr Frank Tumpale Mwenefumbo
He is also not new to our politics. He is another character who has served in various adminstrations not because he is competent but because is in cohorts with corrupt elements.
He has terrorised Aford. He is a political mercenary and power hungry. Many believe he was paid by DPP to start parallel structures in Aford. In fact, at the time of being unveiled, he was wearing an Aford badge.
It beggars belief what Atupele Muluzi sees in him that we all don’t see. The only plausible explanation is that perhaps Atupele is targeting northern region votes through Mwenefumbo. He is the only runningmate from the north among the big five parties.
But we know that Mwenefumbo is not popular in the north although he comes from there.
Atupele’s decision to associate with Mwenefumbo reveals problematic decision making on UDF leader. Atupele has lost touch with reality. Or there is a grand scheme that we all dont see at play here.
Runningmate or ruining-mate? I leave that to you too.
UTM: Dr Michael Usi
The problem with Usi is that some people may not take him seriously because of his involvement with drama.
In fact, there are some people who don’t even know his real name as Michael Usi. They only know him by his stage name as Manganya.
But we we have artists like Bon Kalindo and Lucius Banda who are able to double as artists on stage and be MPs in Parliament. So it’s incumbent upon UTM and Chilima to ensure Malawians seperate Usi from Manganya.
However, it is my considered view that Chilima’s choice, Michael Usi, adds alot of value to the UTM campaign and makes the UTM pairing worth the transformation that the party stands for.
I will not dwell on what we already know that Usi is an elequent communicator. A man of the people. We all know this from his work in Theatre for Development through the Tikuferanji TV show. The show’s unparalleled success is testament to Usi’s winning mentality.
Usi has connection with masses in rural areas. He is connaisant of the challenges and crippling distresses people face at the grassroots. The television programme runs interventions in rural areas in the areas of hunger, HIV and Aids, education and human rights. You need that experience in a leader.
His education too is impecable. Being someone from the DPP stronghold in Lhomwe belt, Usi will be a thorn in the fresh of the ruling DPP. He may not win all votes in the Lhomwe belt but he will be a nuissance to them and take a pound of fresh from Mutharika.
His appointment also means breaking away from the corrupt “business as usual” altitude. He is new which means he brings a fresh bloom to clean the house.
Chilima and Usi represent a paradigm shift which our country needs to end corruption and for our democracy to move forward.
Usi is an outsider from the current political coterie that has ruined and looted government resources.
He is untainted by poisonous political connections. Usi owes no one any favours. Iye ngwakudya zake. With him in-charge we won’t have situations where construction contracts are awarded to incompetent companies because they are owed favours.
This is what has ruined many projects across the country. Substandard bridges that get every eroded every season when it rains, roads that develop potholes soon after, schools that collapse over pupils. These are works that are draining tax payers money.
Running mate or ruining mate? You judge.
TPM: Zione Akuziona Matumba
The only female running mate. Zione is pairing former vice president Dr Cassim Chilumpha. I will not breach their privacy by discussing their partnernship in detail here.
Running mate or ruining mate? You judge.
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HAHAHAHAHA the writer of this piece has been paid by UTM, my friend don’t play with peoples my mind, ask everyone and you will get the reality on ground that 80% of people believe and know that MCP has the best running mate.
Mwangolozapo UTM pazosezi? Get a glip zoba
Most PhD holders are USELESS.
Why do people associate a PHD with impeccability.?UTM yakupatsani zingati? Usi is pompous. Has a know-it-all attitude. He can make the worst VP in history. He states he is in comfort zone. Which comfort zone? ADDRA? My foot. What does he own. He can’t even show us his wife.
Please do your research properly
Well my dear @Ex- MYP guru, Usi’s wife is a very beautiful nurse FYI. I went to high school with their daughters. That aside – what is your ideal VP supposed to look like? Seemingly clean track record? Please do enlighten Asisi here.
You seem UTM in your write up, why have you not pointed out on ADRA corrupt cases, and the stopped would be money swindle of K1.4bn by the now ghost VP when APM was in America…let the best pair from God’s heart win the elections.
I am MCP just for your information !
munthu walemba za nzeru basi
May we have more information on the K1.4bn. I know nothing on this.
This whole article inali njila yogulisila malonda a utm….running mate aliyense mumamupezela zifukwa but not usi …let me have my cup of tea…
alibe zofooka kaya…….. kkkkkkk
Ndani alibe zifokoyo? Usi’yo? Ndiye siukumuziwa ayi. Ngati angawine ndi u mp womwe undifunse. Ife aku constituency kwake sitikumfuna olo pang’ono. Angatichitire chani munthu wozikonda ngati Manganya palibenso.
Now I believe that APMs choice as running mate was a stroke of genius. A real political strategic masterplan of epic proportions that have left the self-acclaimed political analysts, UTM appologists as well as Chancellor college self-taught political scientists scratching their heads and scampering all around trying to find a ruse to knock the mighty DPP from the porch. Chimulirenji is the most popular running mate at this stage, every radio station, social media as well as blogs are all about Chimulirenji, meaning free media attention, what a genius move by DPP
I don’t think so
That last paragraph though! Epic!!!! Hahaha
Well written article but this guy is obviously biased. He is highly inclined toward UTM
Very poor biased analysis that will never materialize, the author is bent towards where he belongs therefore this piece would have been better called why he is utm not all these personal vandettas
you are very right
NEXT ANALYSE PRESIDENTS & SEÈ NGATI skc angalimbe. He did nothing when he was vice P
and is receiving salary for undone work, is not that corruption ?
I think he is receiving for staying idle as wanted by the first citizen.
It seems you don’t know Malawi very well. As a matter of fact let me remind you about the truth on the ground. Malawi is divided into two. The literate urban where social media is order of the day. Where pple chat with their phones. The other part is that of the rural populace where the opposite happens. The issue of running mate is popular in the urban Malawi not otherwise. The other Malawi just concentrate on the president. I don’t think they even understand who a running mate is. I am a community worker I spend most of my life with the rural people. Sometimes you need to do a research before you publish articles like this. You need both primary and secondary data.
But if the name of Manganya is mentioned do the rural people recognize the name or not?
But Chilima boot lickers have got too much work trying to make sense out of nonsense! You honestly believe this clown Manganya is Presidential material? I won’t bother discussing his academic prowess, instead I will leave you to build castles in the air. The real test is for Bambo a Sikono to defeat Nankhumwa, and trust me I don’t like DPP, but what you guys are doing I choose to call intellectual masturbation or kudzikwata ndi singano. You will finish on 4th with less than 7 MPs
I do travel a lot and what I have discovered is people want change.
Yes we know that Sidik Mia has money, but that does not make up for his education. You have ommited that scrutiny on him. Just an observation
Does chilima represent a paradigm shift which malawi wants? My foot! Which paradigm shift are you ascribing to chilima? You are a certified utm idiot the writer of this silly piece. Zamkhutu kutu A jemusi nthondo imeneyi analyisis what a miss? Akutumani a UTM kuti mupange discredit aliyense pair ya utm ndiye muyionetse ngati pair yeniyeni? Mukhumudwatu inu pa 21 mumva madziii mwadziwa a malawi.
Chilima does he represent paradigm shift ? Itiyo kodi?
Patricia kaliati does she represent paradigms shift? Itiyo?
Noel masangwi does he represrnt paradigm shift? Itiyooo?
Richard msowoya does he represent paradigm shift? Itiyo??
Anita kali de dies she represent paradigm shift? Itiyooo
Kodi mwatengana akuba dpp team B mwayesa mupusitsa a malawi? Hmmmmm forget it. You will suffer the greates humiliation coz mwachulutsa kudziyenereza
Chilima plus manganya plus that whole utm bus is a combination of real nyusasi
I like the point DPP Team B, what a real comment there
kkkkkkkkkk
I wish you had taken your time and refine the article. I wish you had remained dettached and trained all candidates as such. I wish you had told as who Zione is or simply I wish you didn’t include it (after all you never mentioned of that party at the beginning)
He has said he is protecting their “privacy” this is speaking a lot Mama
James, you’ve just shown your ignorance here and hatred. Your arguments about Chimulirenji don’t add up. If you’ve been sent by Chilima then you’ve goofed big time. Manganya who has a PhD from UK degree mill adds more value to Chilima? You must be crazy.
He is a UTM boy
Yah good folk, all of them are ruining mate apart from Micheal Usi of our beloved party UTM.
Usi has clean record the same as our leader Saulos Chilima. So vote wise and vote for UTM and look for transformation leadership in UTM only.
Very subjective analysis simply meant to prop up manganya’s Image.Lets wait n see.May is not far.
Good analysis, i like the “running mate or ruining mate,? I leave it to you”
Kaya ZANU izo …..mukhalira zomwezo….Owina ..father Liabunya anakuwuzani kale
Mwati fresh bloom eti? Kkkk okay chabwino bwana
This is quit a good analysis. you have helped some of to understand who these people are.
Malawians let us be careful having a PhD does not mean you are a good leader. Chilima and Usi are bragging about their PhDs as if they th only people with qualification. They are both Childdhip they are deficient of Global Diplomancy. We have limited choice to pick
Where is Sidiki Mia’s education background? Kaya ndi Madalasi, please tell us more about it. You promised the readers that you analyzing these running mates based on these three factors. So do us a favor please to fulfill your promise. We need education profile ya Muluyayu.
kkkkkkkkkkkkk
from my point of view, Michael Usi is the Man we all need. Malawi needs such leaders
it does not take Education for someone to be a president…those old kings we used to have before the so called formal education, were they not capable leaders?
were the old kings not trained in the wisdom of their time? I mean local or traditional education?
Let me analyse the analysis briefly. I was interested to see Usi’s public record by the author which is public knowledge now, the accusations from the lady (allegations) just as he alleges on Mia that he benefited from corruption, and Chilumphas running mate that they are in a ‘relationship’ etc. As expected, the author dwelt only on his positive record and carefully portrays his pair as the best. I guess puttng his picture as a headliner says alot already. Thats what we do in strategies. That damages the analysis but who can blame him? Its his personal view anyway.
This is nonsense. UTM mercenary. So according to your useless thinking, Manganya / Bambo a Sikono alibe vuto lililonse?? Really?? Is it a crime for Mia to have served in UDF, DPP and PP?? I thought that is an advantage ? You are an idiot without any conscience.. UTM thinks that they can win an election through buying articles from stupid poor journalists who are very desperate for money. Let me tell you that whether you like it or not, Mia + Chakwera are forming the next government. Your Chilima will NOT even make it to second position. Useless idiots!!!!!!!!!!!!
za ziiii
You should have made clear from the start that your article was about campaigning for Chilima and Usi.
BUT take note: winning elections is about numbers. Where will Chilima and Usi get the numbers from?
Your assessement of Mia is full of predudice. His major crime being his wealth. Really? Given a choice, Chilima would choose Mia over Usi. Why? Because Mia is set to deliver at least 400000 votes from the south with at least 130000 of those from Nsanje and Chikwawa alone. Do your calculations! This will be a huge improvement on MCP’s performance from 2014 when they got only 67000 votes from the entire southern region. Mia has a clear base in the lowershire and among a significant number of Muslims across the country. Where is Usi’s base?
You are right that Usi is a descent guy with solid education and NGO sector experience. Unfortunately, the two attributes do not bring votes in the Malawian political setting.
Chilima and Usi are a failed political project. Why? The project is built on faulty theoretical underpinnings; it is at once ontologically and epistemologically flawed.
Choosing who over who? Mia over Usi? Not even in my widest dream. I vividly remembered him (Mia) at a PP larry after he dumped DPP upon Bingu’s death lambasting those who remained in DPP, No!!! I can’t choose that opportunist as a running mate, I am too smart to know what is good for is country.
@Shallow, your assessment on politics is about numbers is extremely a lost opportunity for Malawi as a whole. I mean should we have leaders is president and vice sorely on the basis that ey will bring more votes from a certain region? I think as Malawi we can do better than that. I for one believe it is better to put into those two positions individual s who are intelligent people-centric, educated and not power hungry because at the end of the day we all as electorates want a better and improved Malawi.
But isn’t Manganya a household name in Malawi? Let’s not forget this.
Household name in comedy is not the same as in politics. Shallow comparison
Bambo a sikono? You James is a big joke. It is obvious who you are campaigning for! But sorry my vote moves from DPP to MCP.
Little known Chimulirenji so is little or less known bambo a sikono. Did I read of some rape charges?
MCP woyeee!
The writer seems to favour Chilima more than other candidates. I do not think that what you are trying to analyse will have any effect at all on the voters. Just wait for the dram to unfold on May 21.
It could have been better for you if you were to write for the one who impress you most. Critically looking at your article, it clearly shows that you wanted to glorify manganya. Za ziiiiii
Hahahaha so ? Ok. Welcom to Malawi.
Can we have a political debate for all running mates in English. The question will be : If your party wins and the President dies Will you be able to as president and run the country better than the dead president.? What will you be your priority areas? Can you tell us your full education background?