By Marty Marty SC
On the 16th of September, 2024, just a few days ago, the campaign for the 2025 general Tripartite election was officially launched. As expected, every political party has been in a frenzy, trying to convince Malawians to vote for them in the upcoming elections.
In many surprising scenarios, we’ve seen parties and politicians who were once at odds coming together to participate in various functions organized by their respective parties. During the DPP convention, for instance, we saw people wearing different political party colors. The same happened at the PP and Aford conventions.
To many of us, these gatherings have been interpreted as signs of potential alliances for the 2025 electoral campaign. Although no one has officially confirmed this, the speculations have been quite strong.
For instance, just yesterday, the President of the Alliance for Democracy (Aford), Enoch Chihana, organized a dinner for his party members in the North shortly after attending the funeral of the late Chivwati Gondwe. Interestingly, various political parties were invited, including the DPP. Among the DPP representatives was none other than Mr. Norman Chisale—you know him. As surprising as it may sound, Chisale and Aford’s Vice President, Hon. Timothy Mtambo, actually broke bread together. What an unexpected twist of events. What a sign of forgiveness and unity.
What impressed me the most was when Hon. Mtambo took to the podium to invite his President to speak to the attendees. In his remarks, he emphasized that he holds no grudges against anyone, as his ultimate goal is to see a better and more prosperous Malawi.
In a moment that seemed almost impossible, Hon. Mtambo shook hands with Chisale, and at the request of the attendees, they exchanged caps. Chisale’s cap bore the initials “APM,” while Mtambo’s cap represented Aford. If you ask me, this is democracy in action, and I don’t see it as an endorsement. It’s reminiscent of when Joe Biden recently exchanged caps with a Trump supporter.
A similar event also took place during a UTM rally at Katoto Grounds in the North, where Aford’s President organized another dinner and invited UTM to attend. This isn’t the first time such gestures of unity have occurred.
As a nation, we should embrace this spirit. Let’s look past what divides us and focus on what unites us as Malawians. I would be overjoyed if moments like this continue. What a time to be alive, when rivals can come together and dine for the greater good. God bless Malawi
