AN OPEN LETTER TO H.E. PROFESSOR ARTHUR PETER MUTHARIKA, THE DEMOCRATIC PROGRESSIVE PARTY, AND THE PEOPLE OF MALAWI
“A Vision Inherited. A Nation to Rebuild. A Future to Lead.”
In 2030, Insha’Allah, I will seek the Democratic Progressive Party’s nomination for President of the Republic of Malawi.
I enter this contest not merely to participate, but to present a credible programme for national renewal and to offer the leadership, preparation, and vision required for Malawi’s next chapter.
Professor Mutharika, my prayer for you is simple: may God grant you strength, good health, wisdom, and long life. I say this publicly and without hesitation: I hope that when my time comes, you will be in the front row, witnessing what the seeds of patriotism, integrity, and hard work can become.
I have served you, admired your intellect, believed in your vision, and named my son Arthur after you.
Your dream of turning Malawi into the “Singapore of Africa” was the ambition our nation needed.
As your tenure draws to a close in 2030, that dream remains unfulfilled, but it is not beyond our reach.
I have spent years preparing and developing a practical programme for turning that vision into measurable results. I am prepared to be judged by the standards that should apply to every leader: competence, integrity, preparation, and results, not age.
I often look back to the day I presented you with a map of Malawi. It was the very map I first learned to draw as a schoolboy on the mud floors of Kabvuwa LEA Primary School. That map represents millions of hardworking Malawians striving for a better life.
Having grown up in the estates, I know the pain of farmers who labour without receiving a fair return.
Having walked the corridors of UNIMA, I know graduates who sacrificed to earn qualifications only to find no opportunities waiting for them.
Having sold kaunjika and engaged in small-scale businesses such as kabhaza and kaokara, I know the struggles of ordinary entrepreneurs who work tirelessly yet remain trapped in hardship.
These people are the true heart of Malawi’s economy. Their effort deserves more than political promises. It deserves a country where hard work translates into opportunity, dignity, and prosperity.
After decades of beautiful dreams, Malawi remains among the poorest nations in the world.
We are not poor because our people lack effort, intelligence, or ambition. We are poor because we have failed to build systems that turn human effort into lasting prosperity.
Our fundamental challenge is not a shortage of visions. It is the inability of our institutions to translate those visions into results.
Strong institutions, not political slogans, sustain national dreams. Where patronage has displaced competence, we must restore merit.
Where blind loyalty has replaced results, we must establish accountability. Where political interests have weakened public institutions, we must rebuild the capacity of the state to serve its people.
My focus is clear: reliable energy to power production, industries that add value to what we produce, and a fair, accountable economy that puts our national resources to work for our people.
We must move beyond an economy that exports its potential and imports its prosperity. We must build a productive Malawi, one that creates opportunities for its young people, rewards enterprise, strengthens its institutions, and makes the dignity of work a reality for every citizen.
Why declare now? Because I am betting on policy, not money. I will not purchase political support. I will earn the confidence of Malawians through credible ideas, honest leadership, and a programme capable of improving their lives.
Vote-buying and patronage have corrupted our politics and weakened public accountability. We must uproot them if we are serious about rebuilding this country for every ordinary Malawian.
To my fellow members of the Democratic Progressive Party: Tadzola paint ya blue ife.
I have served this party from the grassroots to the national level, and I respect the leadership of Professor Mutharika.
The next chapter of our party must be built on competence, preparation, and a renewed commitment to the people of Malawi.
Fellow Malawians, leadership is not determined by age alone. It is demonstrated through sound judgment, integrity, preparation, and the ability to deliver. Judge me by those standards and by the detailed programme I will present to the nation.
To every young Malawian: our future cannot be built on frustration alone. Real change requires preparation, courage, discipline, and action. I intend to do the hard work required to build it.
And to those who abuse public resources and sacrifice the future of our youth for personal gain, remember this: no individual, cartel, or political network is more powerful than the collective destiny of this nation. Public office must serve the people. Accountability must apply without fear or favour. And the future of Malawi must never be held hostage by the interests of a few.
I know that some will say it is too early. Others will say it is impossible. Some will question my age, my resources, or my ambition. But I have never believed that the size of a challenge should determine the size of our ambition.
“Ena ati sizingatheke iyayi, komatu zimathekatu.” Some say it cannot be done, but it can be done.
David did not defeat Goliath by pretending Goliath was small. He faced the challenge with courage, conviction, and faith. I have faith in Malawi. I have faith in our people. And I believe that with the right leadership, the right institutions, and the right national purpose, we can build a Malawi that works for everyone.
The vision was inherited. The responsibility to deliver is ours.
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