By Burnett Munthali
Renowned Malawian musician Patience Namadingo has sparked widespread discussion following his bold and impassioned speech at Sanjika Palace during a youth engagement meeting with President Lazarus Chakwera on Thursday, 27 February 2025.
In a video clip that has since gone viral on social media, Namadingo expressed a mix of emotions—confusion, disappointment, and hope—while addressing critical governance issues affecting Malawi’s youth.
Namadingo opened his speech by sharing his excitement about receiving an invitation to Sanjika Palace, stating that he was overjoyed to have the opportunity to engage in a conversation with the President.
As he began speaking, a young woman in the audience requested that he use vernacular.
While he acknowledged the request, he insisted on speaking English for fluency, stating, “I will speak Chichewa, but I am very fluent in English.
I need to flow—ndisamaganize kuti ndikufuna kuyankhula chani.”
Drawing from the World Bank’s four elements of governance—accountability, transparency, participation, and the fourth element which he momentarily forgot—Namadingo emphasized that Malawians cannot ask for more than accountability and transparency from their government.
However, he argued that beyond policy discussions, the real challenge lies in the lack of a deep sense of national ownership among citizens.
“Many of us sitting in this room, not everyone, but probably many of us, lack a deep sense of ownership of this country,” he remarked.
He stressed that outside the walls of the Palace, millions of Malawians are angry and frustrated, and if they were asked about the root of their dissatisfaction, they would point to governance.
Speaking passionately, Namadingo declared that, as a 34-year-old Malawian, he has no other home but Malawi.
He candidly shared his mixed emotions, outlining three key feelings:
1) Confusion – Over the state of governance and the direction in which the country is headed.
2) Disappointment – In the leadership and governance structures that fail to address fundamental issues.
3) Hope – because without hope, there is no future.
While expressing hope, he also highlighted a major concern regarding Malawian politics.
He cited a verse from the Qur’an, which states that leaders must inspire their followers, and questioned whether the country’s current leadership meets this standard.
He went on to criticize the perception that politics has become the quickest route to wealth, particularly pointing at Members of Parliament and Ministers.
Namadingo noted the discrepancy between their official salaries and their lavish lifestyles, asking, “Their pay is anything less than MWK 3 million, but look at the cars they buy, the houses they build—how do they do this?
Your guess is as good as mine.”
Another pressing concern raised by Namadingo was the increasing number of Malawian youth who seek to leave the country in search of better opportunities abroad.
He recounted his experiences while traveling to the United States and the United Kingdom, where he consistently meets young Malawians desperate to escape the hardships at home.
“I cannot be proud to live in a country where every youth I meet wants to run away from Malawi,” he lamented.
Quoting the Bible (Luke 7:22), Namadingo drew a parallel to John the Baptist, who asked Jesus if He was truly the one they had been waiting for. Applying this to President Chakwera, he suggested that instead of explaining, the President should simply show results—tangible evidence of progress that speaks for itself.
Namadingo concluded his speech by acknowledging that this was the first time in more than four years that President Chakwera had invited the youth for such a conversation.
He urged his fellow young people in the room to ask the hard questions rather than waste the rare opportunity.
“We will not get this opportunity again,” he warned.
He also reminded President Chakwera that Malawi is just six months away from the general elections, meaning he may or may not return to office.
If he does return, Namadingo stated, the discussions from this meeting could yield tangible benefits.
However, if he does not, then this gathering would have been just another show.
“Thank you so much, Your Excellency. God bless you,” he concluded.
Namadingo’s speech has ignited a wave of reactions from both supporters and critics.
Some have praised him for his courage and honesty, arguing that he voiced the frustrations of many Malawians.
Others, however, have accused him of grandstanding in front of the President.
Regardless of the mixed responses, one thing remains certain—Namadingo’s words have struck a nerve in the national discourse, bringing to the forefront issues of governance, youth frustration, political accountability, and national hope.
