By Suleman Chitera
The Executive Director of the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives (CDEDI), Sylvester Namiwa has launched a blistering attack on the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), declaring that the damage inflicted on Malawians over the past five years is so deep that it will take half a century for the nation to forget.
Speaking without restraint, Namiwawa said the rule of the Malawi Congress Party has been marked by economic hardship, rising poverty, collapsing public services, and a general sense of hopelessness among citizens. According to him, the suffering endured by ordinary Malawians has permanently scarred the party’s image in the eyes of the electorate.
“The pain Malawians have gone through cannot be erased overnight. It is not a matter of months or a few years. It will take 50 years for people to forget what MCP has done,” said Namiwawa.
Namiwawa, who leads the Centre for Democracy and Economic Development Initiatives, argued that the party’s failures have destroyed public trust to an extent never seen before. He cited soaring living costs, unemployment, corruption scandals, and policy inconsistency as evidence that MCP has failed to govern in the interests of the people.
In one of his strongest remarks, Namiwawa said MCP’s chances of returning to power are effectively sealed off for decades. “If history is anything to go by, the earliest Malawians might even begin to reconsider MCP is around the year 2075,” he said, adding that voters rarely forgive leaders who preside over widespread suffering.
Political analysts say the comments reflect growing public frustration and signal deep cracks in MCP’s support base. With the economy under strain and citizens struggling to make ends meet, voices like Namiwawa’s are becoming louder and harder to ignore.
As Malawi looks ahead, one message from Namiwawa’s warning is unmistakable: political power is not permanent, and leaders who betray public trust may pay the price for generations. For MCP, the verdict, at least in the court of public opinion, appears devastating and long-lasting.
