Chakwera’s real challenge

There is an age old problem that grapples with the issue of whether religion should be involved in politics or politics in religion. To date, two thousand years after the first Christians suffered persecution at the hands of the Roman Government, we still have not concluded this complex debate.

The issue is based on the premise that the State and the Church deal with two different aspects of the human being—the former is concerned with the body while the latter concerns itself with the spirit.

But we all know how even Jesus, was concerned with ensuring that his disciples and followers were fed and clothed; having turned water into wine for the guests at the marriage at Cana and fed a mammoth crowd during the Sermon on the Mount.

The modern day era sees the Church being more involved in politics than at any time in history. Although there are only a handful of theocracies to point at, the influence of religion in politics is clear and present.

Which brings us to Malawi today.

While Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president the Reverend Dr Lazarus Chakwera’s sudden advent onto the Malawian political scene has been a cause of joy to some, it is important to put things in their proper perspective.

The first issue that arises and that has been discussed to great length is what Chakwera brings to the table, aside from a fresh face and a Christian way to Malawian politics.

Due to the nature of Malawian politicians over the past 50 years, the country has been yearning for a new face on the scene, someone who brings a fresh approach to doing things, someone who has not been part of the clique—someone to deliver the country from the perennial misery of the past five decades that has reduced this beautiful country to poverty.

While his supporters contend that the man of the cloth is the man Malawi has been waiting for, I believe that the reverend has to prove his worth behind his impeccable church administration, his inspiring sermons and his striking demeanour.

For a start, there are so many autonomous groups around the MCP of today that it is even difficult to recognise which is the party and which is not. Chakwera-mania or MCP?

The interest groups range from the MCP stewards who have been custodians of the party over the past 20 years. “Tinasunga chipani!”. Church folks, hyped youth and intra-MCP factions.

The Church folk view the MCP as a platform of getting their upright man to the State House. These ‘church people’ are not necessarily MCP supporters but Chakwera supporters. MCP supporters are not entirely church people.

Facebook is awash with pro-Chakwera user groups, each with its agenda if not motive. The real test of Chakwera’s leadership is how he consolidates these interest groups into one consolidated force that is capable of impacting the vote tally on May 14.

The #TeamChakwera hype is raucous on social media and this may sway the voting given that 2014 is a ‘Facebook Election’, as a vast majority of youths who were born in the Internet age will be able to vote for the first time. These constitute a huge chunk of the voting public and the challenge is how #TeamChakwera will transform this Facebook euphoria into a registered electorate and actual votes.

Besides, the youth who will decide next year’s elections have merely heard of MCP’s glory and not seen it. How does he bridge the old glorious MCP and the Facebook generation?

A bigger paradox that Chakwera has in his hands is that he is peddling a tattered party, one that has been ravaged by infighting and a battered reputation. Of course, it has its history. That history.

How does he transform MCP into a party of today, and still rely on the glory of yesteryear?

And as the election fever begins to grip the country and the citizenry begin to brace themselves for what promises to, be the tightest election ever, we are all waiting to see how the man of God transforms himself from a preacher to a politician, a morphing stage that has everyone watching him closely.

Because, there, my friends, lie Chakwera’s real challenges.

The author is a new media consultant and patriotic Malawian.