Honourable statesmen, politics in Malawi has caused significant turmoil in recent years, affecting good governance and causing stress for many citizens.
While politics should be about serving the country and improving the lives of citizens, it often becomes a pursuit of winning elections at any cost in Malawi, regardless of the consequences.
Sadly, this has led to a cycle of political trouble in our country since attaining the current democratic dispensation in 1994, with various dramatic episodes involving corruption and power struggles among players in the governing and opposition parties.
This is why this week I decided to revisit Malawi’s path since 1994. A bumpy path whose summit came between 2005 and 2009 when former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika faced impeachment in Parliament.
Just like Kenya’s embattled Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, Bingu faced arraignment for allegedly abusing the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) to ‘persecute’ opponents as claimed by the opposition inside and outside the National Assembly then led the UDF and MCP.
Gachagua is being accused of practising ethnically divisive politics and undermining the government, among others.
But the accusations against Bingu mostly came from the former ruling United Democratic Front (UDF) that sponsored him into power following numerous arrests of its senior executive members by ACB on charges of fraud and corruption.
After winning the 2004 presidency through UDF, Bingu immediately launched a spirited crackdown on his UDF-led regime, cleansing it of deep-rooted corruption and bad governance that prompted the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and other major donors to suspend aid to Malawi in 2001.
Compared to his predecessor Bakili Muluzi, Bingu assumed office as an ideal candidate flaunting an impressive educational background (including many achievements in economics) and an imposing track record having served in various prestigious international organisations.
Folks, it was, therefore, not surprising to see Bingu’s enthusiasm to revive the country’s ailing economy to the extent of refusing to appoint into his Cabinet high-ranking UDF members who had previously been implicated in fraud.
‘Chitsulo cha njanje’ accused the UDF of condoning corruption during its rule from 1994 to 2004. He also charged publicly that even some NGOs and donors condoned the practice and vowed that the fight against corruption remained the focus of his administration hence his commitment to intensify the steam of his anti-corruption drive.
I recall at one point, a UDF spokesperson (now late) and the then MCP counterpart (currently serving as a lawmaker) also accused ACB of “witch-hunting”, claiming the bureau was only targeting opposition politicians in its anti-corruption drive.
Nevertheless, Bingu’s crackdown on corruption strained his relationship with the party that sponsored him to power, leading to his resignation from the party in 2005.
Since then, the phrase ‘political witch-hunting’ was popularised by some sections of the opposition who for one reason or another felt their political interests were under threat.
Fast forward to 2024, it appears the same cycle of political persecution continues as evidenced by the ex-ruling DPP accusations against the MCP government that it is using law enforcement agencies to victimise the opposition.
How ironic! The same people who were previously accused of implementing witch-hunt tactics against MCP while they were in power are whining at those in government today for using political persecution and arrests to kill their political perspective.
Since this has been such a cycle, it implies that those who cry political persecution at one point will use exactly that to overcome stiff opposition, but still, they will also face their own time of reckoning when the coin changes sides in future.
Such is the sad tale of politics in Malawi and it begs the question: Why should Malawians be interested in politics anymore after witnessing too much of the same in the last 30 years?
Surely, politics has torn us apart as a country on top of hindering national development and suffocating our progress.
