By Burnett Munthali
Malawi takhaula ndi ulamuliro wa Chakwera.
This chilling statement has become a rallying cry for millions of Malawians who feel betrayed, abandoned, and exhausted under the leadership of President Lazarus Chakwera.
It is a phrase that carries not just frustration, but deep emotional pain and national regret.
To “takhaula” is not a word used lightly in Malawian culture—it is a cry of sorrow, an expression of suffering, and a bitter admission of disappointment.
It reflects the daily reality of citizens who wake up to soaring prices, crumbling services, and unfulfilled campaign promises.
Under President Chakwera’s leadership, many had hoped for real transformation: jobs for the youth, affordable living, and an end to corruption.
But instead, what they received was a deepening economic crisis, selective justice, and the centralization of power in the hands of a few.
Malawians have watched with growing despair as public institutions weaken, trust in leadership erodes, and the cost of survival becomes unbearable.
Fertilizer is now unaffordable, unemployment is rampant, and the currency continues to lose value at an alarming rate.
Those in the villages, once hopeful for inclusion and empowerment, now feel forgotten and deceived.
Even religious leaders, chiefs, and civil society organizations who once endorsed Chakwera’s leadership are now slowly turning their backs.
The Tonse Alliance, once a symbol of unity and progress, has turned into a house divided and a source of national disillusionment.
President Chakwera’s repeated speeches filled with scripture and poetic rhetoric have lost their charm in the face of empty pockets and stomachs.
Malawians are no longer fooled by eloquence—they want food, jobs, and real leadership.
“Takhaula” is the collective groan of a people who feel they were sold hope, only to be handed hardship.
It is a word that sums up the state of the nation under Chakwera: broken promises, bruised citizens, and a future clouded in uncertainty.
If no urgent redirection is made, this cry may soon turn into action—at the ballot box or in the streets.
Malawi deserves better. And for many, the Chakwera administration has failed to deliver.
