Chihana cheering party followers at a most recent rally.
Malawi’s democratic history will be incomplete without the name, Chakufwa Chihana. The late Chakufwa Chihana was a widely celebrated human rights activist, pro-democracy advocate, trade unionist and politician. His works earned him national and regional recognition as Malawi’s father of democracy. He is attributed with ushering in pluralism in Malawi. Following in his father’s footsteps, Chakufwa Chihana’s son, Enoch is bent on reviving and rejuvenating the movement that his late father founded, the Alliance for Democracy (Aford). Perhaps, this is with one eye on the ballot in the next elections?
This is not Enoch Chihana’s first dance in Malawi’s political and electoral ground. Chihana’s party was one of the nine constituent political parties in the Tonse Alliance. The Tonse Alliance is the alliance which catapulted current President Lazarus Chakwera and his Malawi Congress Party to the presidium in 2020 while in the same vein, putting the final nail in the coffin of long-time leader Peter Mutharika’s political career.
Once friends (in the Tonse Alliance) but now ‘political foes’, President Chakwera and his Malawi Congress Party are now set to go head to head against Enoch Chihana and the Alliance for Democracy. This comes after Chihana and his party explicitly demonstrated their desire to challenge in the upcoming polls citing President Chakwera’s incompetence to put the country on a positive socio-economic development trajectory.
To get a better understanding of the Alliance for Democracy’s roadmap for the upcoming 2023 General Election as well as Enoch Chihana’s political ambitions, PAV’s Joseph Dumbula sat down with Chihana to get his and his party’s position.
The 59-year-old Chihana in the interview was coy on the subject of assuming his party’s presidency and hence running as his party’s candidate. The political science, public policy and international relations graduate from Kansas State University in the United States of America left the decision in the hands of his party saying that ‘it will be up to delegates at the convention to vote for me or anyone’.
With the 2025 Malawi General Election fast approaching, is Aford ready to contest? Do the recent rallies that the party has conducted suggest that it's ready to compete?
Enoch Chihana: You are quite right. We have been into a rebuilding process which is also part of a restructuring call, processes which will take us to the convention. At that convention, people will choose who should lead them. I should not be straightforward to commit to being the torchbearer myself as it will depend on what the delegates wish. But, I must say, it will require the entire party to stretch a comeback we are wishing for.
No more allies . Chihana may be taking on President Chakwera in the next elections
In the 2020 elections, Aford was part of the alliance which helped President Chakwera wrestle power. This time, the party is going solo. Why the change?
Enoch Chihana: In the first place, we must say that we have been observing the nation from both ends. From the inside, the government is working hard, but the impression does not look the same outside here. So, the areas that are flawed now, are those that we seek to address by taking the government mandate. However, 2025 is nearing, perhaps the current regime will make a turnaround and Malawians will be the best judges. We want Malawians to give us as Aford that mandate.
The day Chakwera was declared winner in the 2020 Fresh Presidential Polls, I had known that was the end of the Tonse Alliance. As Aford, we have not benefitted anything but only the UTM (led by Vice President Saulos Chilima) and the Malawi Congress Party led by Chakwera. So, to say the least, we are not part of the current regime at all. We feel that the economy is not performing as it is supposed to be and that is what we want to resolve.
Tell us, does this now imply you no longer trust alliances and won’t seek any in 2025?
Enoch Chihana: We do not want to take this repeated path again even though there is the, 50+1 threshold. We will not again be compelled to partner with others. We shall be going solo in the view that Malawians understand our ambitions and what we thrive to bring to this nation. That is why, we are restructuring to beat the odds in the next polls. We have that power ourselves and we will let Malawians know our extents. We will hold a convention in September this year to elect new office bearers.
What are you promising the nation of Malawi if Aford is elected into office?
Enoch Chihana: We seek total change in how Malawi is operating. That is where we must start from onwards. We need to empower the youths and give ourselves goals that we must be able to fulfill. We have as a nation not done that and it comes through our party. Our conviction is that we must be in line with how other nations within the region are moving.
Chihana and wife Tadala at a political event
What is the party’s stand on calls for the legalization of same-sex marriages in the country amid accusations that your party has been getting support to rally behind the move?
Enoch Chihana: We wish to deny that our party has been getting funds from proponents of same-sex marriage. Our stand is that Malawians should be left to live their lives without influences from external forces which seek to alter the beliefs of people.
We will strongly speak against same-sex laws and even if we win in the next elections, we shall ensure that these calls are not supported at all.
Your party has an alignment with the northern region, where others have complained of underdevelopment and therefore call for a federal system of government. Your take on this call?
Enoch Chihana: We feel that this conversation must really take place to balance developments across the regions. We see the need for such deliberations as it will is approved by Malawians see to it that there is a balance between developments across our major three regions.
What inspirations do you draw from your father who is part of the country’s history?
Enoch Chihana: The ambition of my father was to bring democracy and with the others, they managed to do that. But now, they left spaces we have to fill, and that is developing this nation. That is why, we are attaining that baton in a relay race perspective to improve. We can’t just be stuck in our status.
What are your ambitions now?
Enoch Chihana: My ambitions should be separated from the party. But I am striving to ensure that we have a strong party again. That is why I have been spearheading the exercises you referred to. We are doing that, to ensure that everyone takes the party as their own.
Chakufwa Chihana, Enoch's father has a profound history on Malawi politics.
History of Aford and performance
AFORD began as an underground political movement under Banda's dictatorship under the leadership of trade unionist and political activist Chakufwa Chihana.
He led an underground political movement that aimed at democratic multi-party rule. He was the first person to openly challenge the system. Therefore, he is known as the 'father of Malawian democracy' for his role in ushering in rule in Malawi.
The AFORD was opposed to furthering the reign of the autocratic leader Banda and sought rather promote the idea of true democracy. Under Chakufwa Chihana's influence, the AFORD political party began initially as a pressure group because political parties were illegal for some time under the dictatorial reign of Hastings Banda.
In the 1999 presidential elections, out of the 3,775,256 registered voters in Malawi, 562,862 voted for Aford marking votes for Chakufwa at 18.89 percent.
In 2009, Aford only attained percentage when the party was led by Dindi Gowa Nyasulu.
