By Prince Kurupati
Former Malawian President Peter Mutharika says he is fit and ready to lead Malawi once more. He promised to transform the country into an economic hub on the African continent while getting rid of all the socio-political and economic problems currently bedevilling the country. Peter Mutharika relayed all this in a one-on-one interview with Brian Banda of Times Malawi.
Peter Mutharika is the leader of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), the current main opposition party in Malawi. During the just-ended DPP elective convention held in August 2024, Mutharika was one of 19 DPP officials whose positions were uncontested. This, therefore, meant Mutharika was given the nod to run against incumbent President Lazarus Chakwera of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
Fresh from his elective ‘victory’, Mutharika sat down with Times Malawi where he bared it all regarding his ambition to become the next Malawi president. He started by saying that there are many elements in Malawi including the ruling party that doesn’t want to see him contest for the presidency. To all of these elements, Mutharika boldly declared that he is going nowhere and his name will be there on the ballot.
“They simply want me out of the race because they know once I am in it, they are out,” Mutharika declared. From his tone to the choice of diction he used, Mutharika showed great conviction in all that he was saying and demonstrated great confidence in his capability to wrestle power away from President Chakwera.
Aiding the confidence of Mutharika were the successes or at the least, the perceived success of his tenure in office. When challenged about the numerous graft allegations that were levelled against his administration and other graft cases from the private sector, which his administration failed to stamp out, Mutharika said all graft allegations are nothing about hot air. In his response, Mutharika said while many stories have been written and told about corruption during his term in office, no one can come forward with concrete evidence to corroborate the authenticity of the claims. This, therefore, demonstrates that the talk is nothing more but a well-calculated move to taint him and his party.
“Point out any corruption cases that were done during DPP,” stated Mutharika as he challenged the notion that his administration was riddled with graft.
Furthermore, drawing upon the successes (real or perceived) of his previous time as Malawi President, Mutharika and his party settled for the catchy “Return to Proven Leadership” theme as the theme of the DPP elective convention. Asked why he decided to agree to this theme, he stated that it’s not just a theme for the elective convention but also a reflection of the policies he plans to reinstate once reelected as Malawi’s president. He said the theme will act as a campaign rallying cry for his presidential bid as the citizens need to be reminded of what they will get once they choose to reelect a leader whose vision and policies are for the people.
During the interview, Mutharika was asked about the numerous challenges that he faces as he starts his campaign one of which is his age. Over the past year, there have been several rumours touted suggesting that current legislative acts will be amended to bar candidates over certain ages to contest. While nothing has been passed as yet, there are also worries by many that at 84, Mutharika is no longer fit to lead a nation as President. During the just-ended DPP elective convention, Mutharika was supposed to give the closing remarks at the convention but was notably absent. This further fuelled the arguments that Mutharika is no longer fit to handle hard work like running a country.
Responding to this, Mutharika stated that he is fit and ready to lead. He stated that he has the physical stamina to handle the campaign trail as well as the presidency. Just like George Chaponda, the former leader of the Opposition in Parliament who was delegated to give the closing speech on behalf of Mutharika at the elective convention failed to specify the exact reasons behind his absence choosing instead to blame it on “unexpected issues,” Mutharika also didn’t divulge the important commitment that forced him to miss the closing proceedings of his party’s elective convention.
Among those who have been at the forefront of questioning the DPP party’s decision to keep Mutharika as its leader despite his age is political analyst Wonderful Mkutche. In a statement, Mkutche said, “Professor Mutharika’s age raises questions about his ability to handle the physical demands of the campaign period, especially now that he has been confirmed as DPP’s candidate for the upcoming elections… DPP will likely rely on its loyal base as it struggles to appeal to new voters due to its failure to modernize its image and personnel.”
Asked if the DPP is ready to enter into alliances with other parties or organizations on the campaign trail, Mutharika stated that the DPP can handle all the work by itself. He did acknowledge, however, that the DPP during the campaign trail and after will not operate in a vacuum; hence, it is receptive to the support rendered by others. On this front, he stated that the presence of other opposition political parties, churches and various organizations at the just-ended DPP elective convention does not signal the creation of any alliances, but it is simply a demonstration of camaraderie between and among forces that are fighting for more or less the same thing – a better and democratic nation.
As he concluded, Mutharika promised that his campaign trail would prove that he was ready to handle everything thrown towards him from past criticisms, complex intra-party dynamics as well as electorate expectations.
