KABAMBE, DEMOCRACY AND OWNERSHIP SYNDROME
By Joseph Kayira | 22 November 2024
We all waited with bated breath for the announcement of the winner of the presidential race in the UTM Party during the November 17 elective convention slated for the northern city of Mzuzu. There were four candidates vying for the top position. They included former UTM secretary general, Patricia Kaliati; party guru Newton Kambala; and perceived newcomers – Mathews Mtumbuka; and former governor of the Reserve Bank of Malawi, Dalitso Kabambe.
The events of the convention in Mzuzu bring a bitter lesson and inspiration to politicians who think long years of practicing can bring you votes on a silver platter. It has come to the fore that only those who embark on an issue-based campaign have the opportunity to survive in politics.
UTM was the only party that had the highest number of people who had shown interest to vie for the position of party president. The party needed someone with popular mandate to fill that position which fell vacant after the death of UTM president Saulos Chilima who was killed in plane crash on June 10 in Chikangawa forest up north. Chilima was also Vice President of the Republic of Malawi. Michael Usi, who was Chilima’s deputy took over the reins of power in line with the UTM constitution. He would be at the helm till the party’s elective indaba.
Chilima’s untimely death created a huge leadership vacuum. Nobody seemed to fit in his shoes; nobody would. Usi once said that “even though I know that SKC’s [Saulos Klaus Chilima] shoes are too big for me to fill, I will work hard and do my best to ensure that we deliver on the bold agenda that you [President Chakwera] have for this country.”
UTM therefore needed to tread carefully as it searched for Chilima’s replacement. In the days that followed and as it transpired that Usi would be taking over, there was apparent resistance and dissatisfaction from some party members. They felt Usi had become too close to President Lazarus Chakwera and Malawi Congress Party (MCP). So, when President Chakwera announced Usi as State Vice President, there was no real celebration. Usi himself had to appeal for unity in UTM.
During the swearing in ceremony, which took place on June 21, 2024 at Parliament Building in Lilongwe, Usi said he would do his best “to build our party and uphold our shared values and restore our unity as we forge ahead to keep alive the dream of Tsogolo Lathu Lowala.” The party needed unity of purpose. That unity is still hard to come by.
Eventually, Usi announced that he would not be attending the party convention in Mzuzu. He is yet to tell the world his next political move. Would he remain in a party where he holds no key position? Does he have plans to revive his 'Wodya Zake Alibe Mlandu Movement?' For now, we can only speculate.
THE RISE AND RISE OF KABAMBE
Results of the UTM presidential contest in Mzuzu were absolutely extraordinary. In fact, they revealed how far those who plan better, can go in an election, an organisation or any institution. Immediately, after joining UTM, Kabambe made his intentions known. He did not waste time with praise-singing. He had gone there on a mission – and that mission’s core point was to take-over the leadership of UTM.
While others were busy positioning themselves, Kabambe went flat out on a tour of public lectures. He told the nation that he had joined politics to transform Malawi’s economy. He articulated his points well. As is the case with some pioneer politicians in political parties, those in UTM must have looked at Kabambe as a fortune seeker who would not go far. It was the biggest mistake that they ever made. The dynamics in politics are changing. Today, it matters less whether or not you are a party founder, a new comer, or a nobody. Convention delegates have become so cunning, they can bleed you dry and vote for your political opponent.
In parties like MCP, DPP and United Democratic Front (UDF), veterans insisted that only those that have been party members for two or more years should be allowed to contest on National Executive Committee (NEC) positions. They feared a scenario that unfolded at UTM convention would rare its ‘ugly’ face at their indabas and embarrass the old guard. In the case of UTM, the convention produced an almost new NEC, which takes the party to the 16 September 2025 general elections.
Kabambe won by a landslide. Someone who joined the party sometime in July this year, as an ordinary member, is now on the driving seat. What does the future hold for UTM with Kabambe leading? What will happen to pioneers and senior party members who are suddenly in the cold where they have been reduced to mere members. This election victory and those around Kabambe should not mislead the new president of UTM. It must not crowd his judgment.
A political commentator, who opted for anonymity, said while democracy prevailed at UTM indaba, the new leader and those elected in NEC must bang heads on the new roles of those whose faces were bloodied and battered at the convention. They will be key in future successes and advancement of UTM. In the case of UTM, institutional memory is going to play a significant role administratively, and in all political activities lined up from now, in 2025 and beyond elections. Here is where the likes of Kaliati, Noel Masangwi, Newton Kambala, Joseph Chidanti Malunga and others come in. They cannot be ignored. Not forever.
PAINFUL REALITY
The road to 2025 will not be easy. It will be even tougher for political parties like UTM, considering the new people in NEC. Kabambe must rise above party politics. As he said in Mzuzu, the party must unite. That should be the starting point. There will be no honeymoon for Kabambe and his team. There is more work ahead. UTM must forge ahead as one unit – comprising all sympathisers of losers and winners.
There will be defections. Most of the times losers are targeted. Political opponents – especially from the ruling clique – will dangle enticing positions before disgruntled UTM politicians. Those still hurting must tread carefully and take these offers with a pinch of salt. These offers could be a ploy to weaken UTM, and strengthen the party in power. Equally, political parties in opposition will be eyeing those seen to disagree with everything from the Mzuzu convention.
Looking ahead, Kabambe and his troops can turn things around. Chilima managed to amass one million votes during the 2019 general elections within a short period of time. Without necessarily dwelling on comparisons, Kabambe did not find UTM in tatters and he simply needs to take it to another level. UTM is alive and kicking; it’s a brand that can catapult Kabambe to where he wants to be: at plot number one.
The events of Mzuzu were a painful experience to UTM senior politicians. They were caught unawares. The sombre mood in the convention room was similar to that of the DPP senior politicians at Comesa Hall in Blantyre, when President Peter Mutharika picked Everton Chimulirenji as his running-mate in the 2019 presidential election.
But in politics nothing lasts forever; there are no permanent enemies or permanent friends. The losers must grieve and get over it. Yes, they may have splashed money to convention delegates hoping for a badly needed vote. It all ended in tears, anger and the reality of betrayal. It’s time for forgiveness and to chart the way forward. All these will gain more if they work with Kabambe than any other political party – especially if you consider the time and resources, they invested to form UTM and sell it to voters.
As it stands, UTM is a formidable organisation. Unlike other political parties it is premised upon the theory of a movement. No one really can claim to own it singlehandedly. That is the edge UTM has over other political parties which have been tainted with the curse of family roots and founder syndrome.
A great piece.
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