๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
By Mariana Nkhoma
๐. ๐๐ก๐ ๐
๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐ก๐ข๐ญ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is the cornerstone of our national identity. It shattered the chains of colonial subjugation and led Malawi from Nyasaland into proud sovereignty. Under the visionary Ngwazi Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, Malawi gained not just independenceโbut nationhood, a flag, a name, and a currency.
๐. ๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ซ๐ง ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ข
Eighty percent of the nation’s enduring infrastructureโhospitals, highways, universities, civic centresโare the legacy of MCPโs developmental foresight. What followed was regrettably an era of retrogression.
๐. ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฒ, ๐๐จ๐จ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐
Unlike fleeting, factional movements, MCP boasts the only party structure firmly anchored from grassroots to national levels. The only party with structures at every level, a truly living institution of national unity.
๐. ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง
MCP laid the foundation of Malawiโs once-thriving industrial baseโmanufacturing, textiles, and agro-processing. Successive regimes abandoned this legacy, presiding instead over deindustrialization, disinvestment and economic sabotage through corruption.
๐. ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐๐๐ฒ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ ๐
MCP’s leadership has always emerged through national consensus, not hereditary succession. It is a party of principle, not privilegeโa far cry from political dynasties masquerading as democratic movements.
๐. ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง-๐๐ฎ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ
From Youth Week infrastructure to skills training and agricultural exchange programmes, MCP has always invested in young people as agents of national developmentโthen and now.
๐. ๐๐ญ๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐
Under MCP’s stewardship, Malawi lifted regional football trophiesโwinning the CECAFA Cup in 1978, 1979 and 1988 and nurtured sports talent through structured policy. Subsequent regimes allowed that flame to flicker.
๐. ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ๐จ๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ
When change beckoned in 1994, MCP, under Kamuzu Banda, accepted electoral defeat with dignityโsetting a gold standard for democratic transitions in Africa.
๐. ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ
MCP governs with a national lensโnot through the prism of tribe or region. Its inclusive ethos gave birth to the Tonse Alliance, a broad coalition for unity and shared development.
๐๐. ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ญ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ
MCP does not rule for expedience. It governs with discipline, integrity, and vision. Today, it is once again restoring what was lostโrebuilding roads, restoring fiscal discipline, and laying a firm foundation for Malawiโs future.
