A senior Malawi Congress Party (MCP) official and the party’s Director of Youth has said former President Lazarus Chakwera’s downfall was caused not by his leadership, but by the crooked people who surrounded him while he was in office.
Speaking at a political rally held at Malembo Primary School Ground in Lilongwe on Sunday, Lilongwe Nyanja Member of Parliament Steve Baba Malondera said Chakwera was a good leader whose administration was undermined by individuals entrusted with key responsibilities.
Malondera said those around the former president made decisions that damaged both the government and the ruling party, contributing to MCP’s defeat in last year’s general election.
Chakwera, who led Malawi from 2020 to 2025, lost his bid for a second term after being defeated by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) leader Peter Mutharika.
His five-year administration faced mounting public criticism over persistent fuel shortages, foreign exchange scarcity, recurring sugar shortages, and the rising cost of living, among other economic challenges.
However, Malondera insisted that much of the blame should be placed on individuals within Chakwera’s administration rather than on the former president himself.
Meanwhile, MCP officials have begun campaigning for Chakwera to contest the 2030 presidential election, arguing that he is now a changed man who has learned from the mistakes made during his time in office.
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