As the battle for control of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) gathers pace, Alex Major is questioning not only Lazarus Chakwera’s plans but also the people surrounding the former president.
Major, who has openly expressed interest in succeeding Chakwera as MCP president, says some of those advising the former leader at his Area 10 residence are more interested in protecting their own political futures than helping the party move forward. He has described them as “opportunists tied to his political survival.”
Among those Major named are Simplex Chithyola Banda, Nangozo, Jessy Kabwila, Thyolera, Henri Mumba and Jean Sendeza. The accusation comes at a time when MCP is facing an increasingly open contest over whether Chakwera should continue leading the party after its defeat in the 2025 presidential election.
Major’s concern goes beyond the question of who is advising Chakwera. He argues that the same people now encouraging a possible comeback are among those who previously assured the former president that everything was fine before MCP suffered its election defeat.
That claim places Chakwera’s inner circle under a different spotlight. If the advice given before the election was wrong, Major is effectively asking whether the former president is now receiving a different assessment, or simply hearing what those around him want him to hear.
The former president’s relationship with MCP has also changed since leaving State House. Major claims Chakwera visited MCP headquarters only three times during his five years as President but now visits the party offices twice a week. He has also pointed to Chakwera’s increased presence at funerals and churches, where the former president has been apologising to supporters.
Meanwhile, the succession question is becoming increasingly difficult for MCP to avoid. The party is preparing for grassroots elections covering regional, district, constituency, ward and area structures, with different camps already seeking influence ahead of the eventual convention. Besides Major, figures including Prince Kapondamgaga and Eisenhower Mkaka have been mentioned in discussions about the party’s future leadership.
Major has also challenged Chithyola Banda’s position as Leader of Opposition, arguing that Gotani Hara, as the more senior MP, should have received the position. His criticism shows that the dispute is no longer simply about Chakwera’s future; it is also about who holds influence around him and who gets to shape MCP after its loss of government.
At the centre of Major’s argument is therefore a simple question: are Chakwera’s allies advising him for the good of MCP, or protecting a political arrangement that also protects their own interests?
For now, that remains an allegation from one side of an increasingly public internal contest. But with MCP already divided over Chakwera’s future, the people around him are becoming almost as important to the succession battle as the former president himself.
