Dear Judge Mbadwa,
Have you seen the slate of candidates for Nyasaland’s Legislative Council? A startling 42 percent have opted to run as independents.
At first glance, one might credit voters’ disdain for rigid party politics—but, my lord, this surge reveals far more about opportunism than democratic maturity.
It’s often said these independents emerged because party insiders rammed through their own favourites.
While that grievance rings true, it hardly reflects a sudden leap in political sophistication. Instead, it exposes a scramble driven by greed—either from controlling party bosses or from the aspirants themselves.
Most self-styled independents belong to a loose confederation of slighted party members. Denied tickets, they proclaim autonomy; once elected, they hasten back to their original parties. Their “independence” endures only until the ballots are counted.
Then there’s the second breed: fortune seekers who hedge their bets by claiming independent status. Unsure which party will prevail, they switch allegiance to whichever side wins—chasing ministerial posts and patronage.
Such political turncoats care little for constituents; they serve only their own ambitions.
This is the real danger, my lord: politicians who exploit voter sympathy to leapfrog into office, then abandon that very electorate for the spoils of power. They do not fight for public interest but for their slice of the patronage pie.
So let us not celebrate 42 percent of independents as a sign of political growth. It is party politics in clever disguise.
And as candidates suddenly find their voices on the campaign trail, one must wonder—where were their thinking caps when they claimed to speak for Nyasaland’s future?
Regards,
John Citizen
