October 2 2025
Greetings from the Munda wa Chitedze Farm where I relocated from the hustle and bustle of your city. Peace and only peace reigns supreme here and we are not suffering in silence.
We at the farm, and surrounding villages take this opportunity to congratulate Peter Mutharika for returning to the State House.
Mr President, today, as you take the oath of office, Malawians are watching with hope but also with caution. They have entrusted you once more with the highest responsibility in the land—not out of blind loyalty, but because they believe that perhaps this time, you will listen.
The truth, Your Excellency, is simple: Malawians want change, not a replay of the same mistakes that made your previous administration appear stubborn, arrogant, and out of touch with the people.
At the heart of those mistakes was the team that surrounded you. Many of the same aides, advisers, and parastatal heads are still lurking in the corridors of power, ready to return. Yet, these are the very individuals who insulated you from reality, who misled you with half-truths, and who failed to give you the counsel that would have saved your presidency from public scorn.
Bringing them back, Mr. President, would not be a show of loyalty—it would be taking Malawians for granted.
The State House must never again become a fortress of arrogance. It must be a nerve centre of wisdom, humility, and truth-telling. If those around you are not bold enough to tell you when you are wrong, then they are not advisers but courtiers—and Malawians deserve better.
There is also the matter of qualifications in public office. Too many times, we have seen unqualified individuals parachuted into strategic positions simply because of political connections. Some hold no postgraduate qualifications; others boast dubious degrees whose origins cannot withstand scrutiny.
Mr. President, the people demand professionalism. They demand a merit-based system where the most qualified Malawians, not the most connected, rise to leadership. Anything less is a betrayal of the trust placed in you today.
Equally urgent is the state of our civil service. The Public Service, which should be the engine of government efficiency, has been reduced to a dumping ground of recycled Principal Secretaries and Directors who are long past their relevance.
Many are not just incompetent; they are obstacles to reform. If your administration is to succeed, it must begin with a thorough cleansing of the civil service, sweeping away those who are unfit or unwilling to serve Malawians with integrity and energy.
Your Excellency, this is your moment. Do not let the excitement of inauguration blind you to the demands of the people. They are asking for honesty at State House, professionalism in public office, and a civil service that works for the people, not against them.
Malawians are forgiving, but they are not forgetful. This is not a blank cheque; it is a second chance. Use it wisely. Surround yourself with truth-tellers, appoint leaders of proven competence, and cleanse the civil service. That is the only way to honour the oath you will take today.
Anything less will be taking Malawians for granted—again.
