Suleman Chitera 
By Suleman Chitera
Malawi Congress Party (MCP) President Lazarus Chakwera has launched a renewed engagement drive with party members, senior officials and political veterans as the former ruling party begins laying the groundwork for a comeback in the 2030 general elections.
The initiative is aimed at strengthening internal party structures, rebuilding cohesion and creating a platform where views from across the MCP can be heard as the party prepares for the next electoral battle.
MCP Publicity Secretary Jessie Kabwira confirmed the initiative in an interview on Friday, following a series of meetings between Chakwera and key figures within and outside the party.
Chakwera recently met political veteran Grezelder Jeffrey, shortly after holding discussions with MCP Secretary General Richard Chimwendo Banda.
According to Kabwira, the meetings form part of a deliberate strategy by the MCP leadership to reconnect with its grassroots structures, senior members and experienced political figures.
She said the engagements are intended to strengthen the affairs of the party and ensure that MCP is better prepared for the 2030 presidential and parliamentary elections.
The initiative comes at a critical period for MCP, which is seeking to regroup and rebuild following its defeat in the 2025 general elections.
Political expert Dr. Augustine Magolowondo has welcomed Chakwera’s engagements, describing them as timely and important for a party seeking to rebuild its political base.
Magolowondo, however, stressed that the success of the initiative will depend on whether MCP leadership is prepared to genuinely listen to and act on the ideas emerging from the consultations.
He urged the party to give serious consideration to the views and recommendations coming from its members, grassroots structures and political veterans.
Chakwera has designated Tuesdays and Thursdays each week for the engagements, which are being held at the MCP headquarters in Lilongwe.
The meetings are expected to bring together grassroots representatives, senior party members and political veterans as MCP begins a longer-term process of assessing its strengths, weaknesses and political direction ahead of 2030.
For MCP, the initiative could mark the beginning of a significant internal rebuilding exercise—one that will test whether the party can translate consultation and reconciliation into a stronger organisation capable of mounting a credible challenge for power in 2030.
Read also: Be in school, not marriages – learners told
Read also: Chakwera Challenges New SPC To Deliver
Read also: UNIMA law enforcement and human resource management society welcomes first year students
