Is this the leadership Malawians deserve? One is left wondering whether the president of Malawi is truly answerable to his people or to international donors whose applause seems to matter more than domestic accountability.
President Lazarus Chakwera, while in Nigeria, reacted to the violence that broke out in Lilongwe during planned electoral reform protests by directing the ministers of defense and homeland security to compile a report.
The protest, which was meant to be a peaceful demonstration, turned into a scene of terror as panga-wielding thugs attacked citizens and journalists in full view of law enforcement agencies.
Three vehicles were torched during the chaos, and disturbingly, members of the Malawi Police Service and Malawi Defense Force stood by without intervening, a shocking abdication of their duty to protect life and property.
President Chakwera’s public demand for answers seemed to offer a glimmer of hope—at least some form of accountability was expected from the top.
Yet, upon his return to Malawi, no public statement followed. No report was shared with the nation. No arrests have been made. No one has been held accountable.
Instead, the government has opted to hide behind protocol, with government spokesperson Moses Kunkuyu stating that communications meant for the president should not be made public.
This stance is troubling and only adds fuel to public skepticism about whether the investigation was genuine or merely a rhetorical move to pacify the international community.
UTM President Dalitso Kabambe echoed the feelings of many Malawians by urging President Chakwera to make the report public in the name of transparency and accountability.
However, that request has seemingly been ignored, a silence that speaks volumes in a democracy already weakened by political impunity.
If the government is truly committed to protecting its citizens and upholding justice, there should be no fear in publishing the report. Anything less is a betrayal of public trust.
Malawi is not short of laws or institutions; what we lack are patriotic leaders with the political will to implement them impartially.
The ongoing silence represents a missed opportunity by both the minister and the president to show decisive leadership and restore public confidence.
Malawians are not asking for miracles—just truth, justice, and action.
If those in leadership continue to ignore the plight of the people, then we must begin to ask for divine intervention because our earthly custodians of power have failed us.
What Malawi desperately needs right now are new patriots—men and women without political ambition, whose only desire is to serve this country with integrity and courage.
Let this be a wake-up call, not just for the presidency, but for all citizens who believe that silence in the face of injustice is complicity.
We must demand better—not tomorrow, but now.