Politics, they say, has no permanent friends—only permanent interests. But every once in a while, politics produces a moment so ironic, so revealing, that even enemies pause, clap, and say: this one was wronged. That moment came when Kondwani Kachamba Ngwira, a known DPP sympathiser, shocked the political village by awarding Eisenhower Mkaka, a senior figure of the rival Malawi Congress Party (MCP), the title of “Most Unfairly Treated Politician of 2025.” When your enemy praises you, Africans say, even the hunter knows which animal ran bravely. This was not flattery. It was a verdict.
The year that just ended was full of personal awards from media influencers—some neutral, others openly partisan. Annabel Ntalimanja of MEC was crowned Person of the Year by Onjezani Kenani, and many other titles were handed out. But none stirred the pot like Kachamba’s award. It crossed party lines. It told an uncomfortable truth. It confirmed what many had whispered but feared to say aloud.
Kachamba did not mince his words. He said Eisenhower Mkaka was unfairly treated—fought and undermined by his own party after helping them form government. “He had more inner battles than DPP,” Kachamba declared. Then, almost prophetically, he added, “Sir, this world is wicked.” In our African wisdom, when your own house burns, the neighbour’s firewood is not to blame. Mkaka’s pain did not come from the opposition. It came from home.
Comically, as if welcoming the award, Mkaka wrote on his Facebook page, “We are in the season of celebrating the most prestigious Kachamba Award! Please celebrate with us!” It sounded funny, but Africans know that the goat that cries while smiling is in deep pain. The joke landed because it was built on scars.
Eisenhower Mkaka was, as Kachamba suggested, fairly accused only in the court of politics, not justice. Plots were made against him. His name was smeared. He was accused of all sorts of bogus corruption allegations meant not to prove guilt, but to destroy his image. Like smoke without fire, the accusations were meant to blind. They almost succeeded. He was removed from cabinet. He did not defend his Secretary General post. One bad thing followed another.
Yet this was the same Mkaka who, as Secretary General, helped MCP cross the river from opposition into government. He was the engine room, the organiser, the man who made things work. Africans warn us that you do not chase away the person who fetched firewood when the food is ready. But that is exactly what happened.
Following MCP’s defeat and return to opposition, confessions are now flowing. MCP faithfuls and ordinary Malawians, including people like Kachamba, are admitting what was denied before: Eisenhower Mkaka was treated unfairly by his own party. He was a champion. He was tried and tested. But some chose loud voices over proven results, excitement over experience.
There is a proverb that says, you do not change the winning team. MCP changed the winning team. They replaced proven hands with untested enthusiasm. Today, the party finds itself exactly where it was before Mkaka helped it taste power—back in opposition. How some within MCP decided to dismantle a structure that had delivered victory remains a mystery. Perhaps they were drunk with power. Perhaps they forgot that history is the best teacher, but only to those willing to learn.
As Africans also say, the axe forgets, but the tree remembers. Eisenhower Mkaka remembers. Malawians remember. And now, even political opponents remember. That is why Kachamba’s award matters. It is satire with teeth, humour wrapped in a hard moral judgement. When a rival crowns you the most unfairly treated politician, it means the injustice was too loud to ignore. Mkaka’s story is a reminder that in politics, the deepest wounds are often not inflicted by enemies, but by friends who forget who carried them to the top.
