26/09/2025
đĽ Chakweraâs Fall: The Reverend Who Preached Hope but Delivered Shortages
Mukwita on Point-The Daily Nation
Amb Anthony Mukwita wrote-
26 Sept 25.
Malawiâs Lazarus Chakwera didnât just lose an election, he was politically exorcised by a fatigued citizenry, tired of hollow promises.
The man of God who rode into office on a wave of reformist sermons has now been cast out by the very congregation he once inspired.
And who replaces him? An 85-year-old Peter Arthur Mutharika, previously rejected and dejected, now resurrected like a political Lazarus of his own in this backwater fishing nation of the famous âchamboâ fish.
In a nation where 70% of the population is under 35, Chakweraâs defeat to a man born before World War II is not just ironic, itâs an indictment.
The youth of Malawi didnât vote for age; they voted against incompetence. Fuel queues, inflation above 20%, and a cost-of-living crisis that mirrored Zambiaâs own economic malaise were the back-drop to Chakweraâs tumble.
He ran the race with the confidence of a man who believed his own press releases. But the electorate saw through the sermons.
They wanted fuel, not faith. Jobs, not jargon. And when the ballots were counted, Mutharikaâs landslide wasnât just a winâit was a rebuke, a referendum.
From Ghanaâs Akufo-Addo to Senegalâs Macky Sall, and now Malawi, the wind of change is blowing with hurricane force, donât forget Botswana.
Incumbency is no longer a shield apparently, itâs a target. In Africa today, no president sleeps easy, no one is safe. The ballot is now the guillotine. Anything can happen from the secrecy of that closed booth.
Today you are President, tomorrow you are gone with the wind. Itâs a timely wake up call for those with ears and eyes prepping for an election, be they incumbents or opposition.
đ UNGA 8: Palestine Rises, Israel Isolated, and the Empire Wobbles
At the UNâs 8th anniversary of Palestinian recognition, history didnât whisper, it roared. The UK, France, Canada, Australia, and others stood up and said: enough.
They recognised Palestine as a sovereign state with full diplomatic credentials. And when the votes were read, two seats were conspicuously empty: the United States and Israel.
This wasnât just symbolic. It was seismic. The UN, often dismissed as toothless, showed it still has a moral compass, even if its bite is soft. The parallels with apartheid South Africa are haunting.
Back then, the world turned its back on white supremacy. Today, itâs turning its back on occupation and impunity.
Letâs be clear: Hamas must be condemned for the October 7 massacre of 1,200 Israelis. But Israelâs responseâ65,000 Palestinians dead, babies starving in Gaza, food blocked, bombs raining, is not self-defence. Itâs state-sanctioned vengeance.
Both sides must release hostages. Hamas must free the innocent. Netanyahuâs IDF must release the 10,000 Palestinians rotting in detention. The war must end. Now.
And then thereâs Donald Trump, who dreams of a Nobel Peace Prize. The man who couldnât stop Gaza, couldnât stop Ukraine, and couldnât stop himself from tweeting âhot airâ.
If Obama got a Nobel for hope, Trump wants one for chaos. The only prize he deserves is for delusion.
â°ď¸ Zambiaâs Frozen Farewell: The Lungu Familyâs mourning in Limbo
In Zambia, the late President Edgar Lungu lies not in stateâbut in stasis. His widow, madam Esther Lungu, mourns without closure. Her tears have dried, but the pain still grows.
The government of Zambia says âyou are not burying without us,â and so his body remains frozen in South Africa, trapped between grief and legal gridlock.
Why? What does Zambia gain from freezing a co**se? What national interest is served by denying a family the right to bury their patriarch?
The final decision now rests with the South African Supreme Court of Appeals or SCA. But the moral verdict is already in: this is cruel. Itâs undignified. Itâs un-Zambian according to many analysts.
Let mama Esther bury her husband. Let the nation heal. A burial delayed is grief prolonged.
⥠Powerless and Penniless: Zambiaâs Pre-Election Malaise
Eleven months to go before Zambia votes, and the lights are flickeringâliterally and metaphorically. Erratic power supplies, rising costs, and a kwacha that buys less than a loaf of dignity. For the millions living on $1 a day, hope is not just scarce, itâs rationed.
Analysts ask: what next? The answer may lie not in policy papers but in the hearts of ordinary Zambians. Theyâve endured blackouts, inflation, and broken promises. But theyâve also endured worse. And theyâre still standing.
As the election looms, let the leaders remember: the people are watching. And theyâre not just voters, theyâre verdicts waiting to be delivered.
Final Thought:
From Lilongwe to Lusaka, from Gaza to the UN, the world is shifting. The old certainties are crumbling. Incumbents are falling. Empires are wobbling. And the peopleâlong dismissedâare rising.
Thatâs Mukwita on Point.
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Amb. Anthony Mukwita is an Author & International Relations Analyst.
Source: The Daily Nation-Mukwita on Point weekly column.
