Go ye and beg!
Malawi Vice President, Michael Usi, says President Lazarus Chakwera appointed him to the position because of his ability and experience in begging white people for aid.
The Vice President shared these remarks during his political whistle-stop at Ndirande Market in Blantyre.
“Chakwera m’mene amandisankha, amadziwa bwino lomwe kuti ineyo chimodzi zaukaswiri wa ine ndikupempha ndalama kumaiko akunja kwa aznthu ena chifukwa ndagwira ku ADRA komwe nchito yanga inali kupempha ndalama kwa azungu (Chakwera appointed me because he knows I can utilize my skills and experience from ADRA of going out with a begging bowl to developed countries to beg them for aid as a pauper),” said Dr. Usi.
Usi has been galvanising support among UTM supporters, where the party considers him an outcast and a sellout following Vice President Saulos Chilima’s tragic death in a plane crash in Chikangawa Forest last month.
Usi, a comedian-turned-politician, is now the acting President of UTM. The party is slated for a convention to elect its torchbearer for the 2025 Malawi presidential elections. Chilima had picked Usi as his running mate for the 2019 presidential race before the party joined MCP and other political parties in the Tonse electoral alliance, which ousted the then-ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and Peter Mutharika.
Following Chilima’s tragic death, Chakwera appointed Usi as Vice President of the country. However, UTM suspects foul play in Chilima’s death and has dumped the Tonse alliance. Nevertheless, UTM members who were appointed by Chakwera to his cabinet prior to Chilima’s death have stayed behind and refused to leave the cabinet. The decision for the members to cling to their cabinet positions has intensifying internal party strife.
It is believed UTM will now field Dalitso Kabambe as its torchbearer, leaving Usi in the cold. Kabambe joined the party from DPP following Mutharika’s decision to stand in the 2025 elections. Kabambe was a strong contender within DPP, but his chances faltered with Mutharika’s interest to lead the party.
Meanwhile, Minister of Tourism Vera Kamtukule has dumped UTM and joined the ruling Malawi Congress Party (MCP). It is, however, not yet known whether she will compete at the MCP convention following the party’s decision to bar new members from contesting, a decision that has led to a court case.
