In a political move that feels more like dragging an old ox back to the yoke, 85-year-old former President Peter Mutharika is set to hold a press conference today at his lakeside mansion in Mangochi. Word from his inner circle is that this stunt is meant to convince Malawians that Mutharika is still as strong as a 19-year-old boy, ready to hit the campaign trail as official election campaigns launch tomorrow.
But let’s call a spade a spade: insiders whisper that the old man is too frail to even stand for long, let alone face the nation in a press briefing. It’s like expecting a cracked clay pot to hold water. Sources say Mutharika is being pushed into this political theatre by desperate loyalists like Shadreck Namalomba—men holding onto his coat-tails as if they were clutching straws in a storm.
Instead of letting Mutharika rest and enjoy his twilight years, his team seems determined to parade him like a tired lion forced back into the arena just to prove it can still roar. But Malawians know better: you can paint rusted iron gold, but it won’t become new.
