USI steps in

Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change Michael Usi will this afternoon be sworn-in as the country’s Vice-President replacing Saulos Chilima who died in a plane crash on June 10 alongside eight others.

This follows President Lazarus Chakwera’s exercise of his office’s powers under Section 84 (2) of the Constitution to “appoint a person to filI the vacancy in the Office of First Vice-President within seven days from the date the vacancy arose”.

Secretary to the President and Cabinet Colleen Zamba said in a statement last evening that Usi’s appointment is with immediate effect.

Reads the statement: “ His Excellency Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, President of the Republic of Malawi, in exercise of his powers under Section 84 of the Constutution of the Republic of Malawi, has appointed Dr Michael Bizwick Usi, as Vice-President of the Republic of Malawi.

“The Vice-President Designate, the Right Honourable Dr Michael Bizwick Usi, shall take his oath of office on Friday, 21 June 2024, at the Parliament Building [in Lilongwe] at 15: 00 hours.”

Ironically, in the 2019 Tripartite Elections he paired with Chilima as his running mate on the maiden UTM Party ticket in the disputed presidential election that was nullified in February 2020 after Chilima and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) candidate Chakwera petitioned the courts. In the court-sanctioned presidential vote in June 2020, Chakwera teamed up with Chilima and triumphed.

Usi last evening declined to comment on his appointment and suggested that he be interviewed at a later date.

On the other hand, UTM Party spokesperson Felix Njawala said he would react later to the appointment. However, by press time at 10.30pm he was yet to revert.

However, political pundits have hailed Chakwera for the choice of new Vice-President, saying it shows his respect to the partnership between MCP and UTM in the Tonse Alliance and a perfect honour to Chilima’s soul.

But the pundits differ on Usi’s ability to help Chakwera garner more votes in the September 16 2025 General Elections.

In an interview, University of Malawi associate professor of political science Boniface Dulani said the appointment will cement relations between MCP and UTM.

He said it is inevitable that there will be some pockets of resistance in UTM Party, especially as some members do not perceive Usi as the party’s loyal member.

Said Dulani: “It’s a safe appointment to the extent that Dr. Usi was the running mate to the late Dr. Chilima and this shows the President has appointed the most senior person in UTM Party. It also shows some commitment to the alliance and honours Chilima.

“Of course, there will be some people within UTM who will be unhappy because there have been rumours about the loyalty of Dr. Usi to UTM. But if the President had overlooked this appointment and picked someone else from UTM, it could also have put him in a very awkward position.”

He said there are also people within the MCP who could have wanted one of their own to be appointed, but that could not have held the alliance together.

Political Science Association spokesperson Mavuto Bamusi urged Usi to continue, among others, pushing for public sector reforms that the late Chilima championed.

He said: “Malawi has been lacking in corporate governance and public sector accountability, which all need public sector reforms. So Usi has to push for this. He should also advance the anti-corruption agenda which Chilima used to champion.

“Further, the VP should advance the unity card because Malawi is in dire need for unity because this is key to development. Finally, he should not be bent pleasing the MCP or shy party supporters, but put interest of Malawians at heart.”

Unlike Dulani, Bamusi noted that the choice of Usi could be repositioning political dynamics towards running mates in the September 2025 elections where parties are looking at gaining votes from other regions.

Chilima, who died alongside eight others in a military plane crash in Chikangawa Forest on June 10, was laid to rest at Nsipe in Ntcheu District last Monday.

Turn to page 4 for

the new Vice-President’s brief profile