By Vincent Gunde
Today, 5th April, 2025 is marking 13 years since former President Professor Bingu wa Mutharika closed his eyes bidding farewell to the Earthly world leaving behind his great works which are speaking for him in the mind of all Malawians regardless of political party affiliations.
Memories of his name are high and many believe that if he had taken over the country as President in 1994 after Ngwazi Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda was ousted from government in the first multiparty elections, Malawi would have reached the stage of Qatar of Africa.
Z Allan Ntata writing on his face book page has described the late Bingu wa Mutharika as a man who knew what leadership meant, a man who didn’t ask his advisors to think for him and instead, he asked Malawians to help him bring his own vision to life.
“Bingu wa Mutharika was intellectually sharp, he understood policies, he understood people saying his legacy may be debated, but one thing is indisputable, Bingu led,” reads Ntata’s writings on the wall.
Making his contributions, a Malawi Congress Party (MCP) diehard of Mvera in Dowa district Mr. Rodgers Kamphangala says Malawi was blessed to have a visionary leader –Professor Bingu wa Mutharika who is to be remembered in the political history of the country.
Kamphangala said Malawians will remember him for ordering the police to arrest vendors found buying and selling maize at a higher price saying today, it is very doubtful that President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera is and was aware that a bag of 50 Kilogram maize was being sold at K120,000.
He said Bingu wa Mutharika was a man of action, traders were afraid of their licenses confiscated by government for being found raising prices of essential goods and services beyond the reach of the poor in Malawi saying to President Chakwera, he is not aware of this.
The MCP diehard said Bingu wa Mutharika is remembered for implementing zero deficit budget saying beside the international community freezing aid to Malawi, the country survived the scare and surprised the world registering food security at household level in 2011.
He said the late Bingu wa Mutharika disliked borrowing for consumption as the country is witnessing today under President Chakwera where a total of K13 trillion was borrowed in just 4 years in government with nothing to show on the ground, only sign posts.
“Surely, as a Malawi Congress Party diehard, I rate the late Bingu wa Mutharika as the best than all the presidents who have ruled the country after Kamuzu Banda,” said Kamphangala.
