LILONGWE – Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Publicity Secretary, Jessie Kabwila, has stirred debate across the country after making a veiled but telling statement at a press conference held at MCP headquarters yesterday, calling on Malawians of goodwill to “pray for Peter Mutharika.” The statement, though framed in concern, was loaded with political undertones as the visibly frail 84-year-old former president returned from South Africa, reportedly from a medical trip.
Mutharika, whose party is desperately pushing him to stand again in the upcoming election, appeared weak, sluggish, and clearly out of rhythm with the energy demanded by a modern political campaign. While other contenders are busy in the field holding rallies and mobilising voters, Mutharika remains notably absent. It is a silence loud enough to raise serious questions about whether he still has the strength to withstand the demands of a national campaign.
Though Kabwila did not utter it directly, her message struck many as a political eulogy wrapped in diplomatic cloth. Political commentators say her call to “pray” for Mutharika was less spiritual and more symbolic—a warning that the once-mighty lion of the DPP may now be too old to roar. As the African proverb goes, “The sun that rises late will never dry the morning dew.” Mutharika’s time, it seems, is setting.
Even former ally Atupele Muluzi dared to say what many whisper in private—that Mutharika should gracefully step aside and let younger leaders take the mantle. But rather than listen, the DPP faithful responded with fury and insults, forgetting how Bakili Muluzi once sacrificed his own health to campaign for Mutharika’s late brother, Bingu—only to be repaid with political betrayal.
In contrast, President Lazarus Chakwera is on the move. Tireless and strategic, he is canvassing the country with the vigour of a man determined to win big. Political analysts say if Mutharika dares to contest, he will face not just defeat—but a landslide of historic proportions. “This is no longer a race,” one political analyst noted. “It’s a generational reckoning.”
To insist on running now, they say, would be like trying to dance after the drums have stopped. It will not only end in embarrassment but may also erode the little dignity left around Mutharika’s long political journey. Kabwila’s call for prayers may have been clothed in sympathy—but beneath it, a loud message rings: it is time to rest, not to run.
