Opinion: Malawi Must Wake Up — We Change Leaders, Not Government

By Suleman Chitera

For decades, Malawi has witnessed the rise and fall of leaders and political parties — from Kamuzu Banda’s autocratic era, to Bakili Muluzi’s dawn of multiparty democracy, Bingu wa Mutharika’s ambitious projects, Joyce Banda’s short-lived leadership, Peter Mutharika’s second DPP era, and now Lazarus Chakwera’s Tonse Alliance government.

Yet through all these transitions, one thing remains painfully constant: the government itself never changes. What changes are the faces at the top — the leaders and the political parties. The system of governance, the structures of power, the way business is done in ministries and departments — those stay stubbornly intact.

This is a truth Malawians often miss. Every election cycle, we shout “change!” with passion, expecting instant transformation the moment a new leader steps in. But within months, reality slaps us: broken promises, recycled politicians, and the same old governance failures.

Why? Because we are changing drivers, but the vehicle remains the same old wreck.

The bureaucracy, the corruption networks, the patronage system, the inefficient public service — they do not disappear with a new president. They are deeply embedded. The leaders simply adapt to the system they inherit, sometimes even making it worse.

It is baffling how many Malawians still think that changing a leader equals changing the government. This thinking exposes a dangerous ignorance. And ignorance, sadly, is a silent enemy of progress.

What Malawi needs is a shift in mindset. We must stop worshiping political parties and start demanding structural reforms — in governance, in the civil service, in the way public funds are managed, in accountability mechanisms.

We need civic education for our youth — not just political slogans — to understand that meaningful change comes from overhauling systems, not swapping faces. If we can educate even 2,000 young minds to grasp this truth, we could begin changing the country’s future.

We have wasted too much time believing in saviors. No leader will fix Malawi unless we fix the system that molds them. We, the people, must wise up — or we will remain victims of our own ignorance.

Change starts with knowledge. And knowledge begins when we stop confusing political change with real change.

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