A few weeks ago, DPP zealots were shouting from the rooftops. They said the good rains were proof that God was happy with Peter Mutharika’s leadership, unlike the Chakwera era, which they blamed for floods and bad rains. To them, rain had finally chosen a political side.
Then reality arrived.
The rains stopped. A dry spell followed. Maize fields began to wilt. Crops started drying up. Farmers grew worried. And suddenly, the loud voices went quiet.
So what happened?
Did the rains change their mind?
Or was the argument weak from the start?
As Stanley Onjezani put it:
“A few weeks ago, when some of us warned against attributing the good rains to the President, we were lectured, right here on this page, about how God blesses good leadership with such things as rainfall. It turns out the praise was misplaced…”
This is the problem with blind political zealots. When things go well, they sing. When things go bad, they disappear. Facts don’t matter. Logic doesn’t matter. Only the party matters.
But maize does not grow because of party slogans.
Fields do not listen to politics.
Hunger does not care who is in power.
The truth is simple: depending on rain-fed farming is risky. Rains are no longer reliable. Climate change has changed the rules. Turning weather into propaganda will not save crops.
What will help are real actions—irrigation schemes, water harvesting, modern farming methods, strong extension services, and serious planning.
Malawi does not need party cheerleaders explaining the weather. It needs leaders who plan for dry spells and protect farmers.
Let’s stop turning rain into politics and start fixing agriculture—before fields dry up and excuses run out.
