By Suleman Chitera

Vice President Michael Usi has distanced himself from the country’s leadership failures, telling supporters that he should not be blamed for the lack of change because he is “not the one driving the country.”

Addressing a rally at the old depot in Ntcheu District on his way to Blantyre City, Usi likened himself to a passenger in a minibus, suggesting that decision-making power lies elsewhere.

The Odya Zakeyu leader delivered a scathing critique of the state of the nation, citing chronic shortages of fuel, fertilizer, and sugar — a situation he said never happened during the rule of Malawi’s founding president, Hastings Kamuzu Banda.

“There is no justice, there is no peace in this country,” Usi declared, adding that anyone opposed to his views is free to challenge him.

His comments come at a politically sensitive time, with public frustration mounting over economic hardships and questions swirling about the real power dynamics inside government.