Cacophonic joy brings Catastrophic circumstances: the fall of Babylon in 2022

After series of rifts in the party, they on June 25, 2022 acquiesced to continue with their alliance for the benefits of Malawians.

“The alliance partners will continue to fulfill their pledge to focus on faithfully addressing the socio-economic challenges that Malawians are facing,” reads part of the statement.

However, in a brutal certitude, this was just a statement made from the surface of the turf, the alliance which was formed in 2020 to ditch out Peter Mutharika’s Democratic Progressive Party is currently just on paper, AFFORD President’s, Enock Chihana revealed.- AFFORD is one of the nine parties that were joined together to form a a muscular team to dismantle DPP.

Corruption, acquisitiveness can be some of the factors that disassembled the mighty Tonse Alliance which brought Cacophonic environment for the majority of the Malawians that were yanked into marriage with the party by the “sweet but false” promises that were made during the Tripartite Elections campaign.

Surprisingly and in an a preposterous circumstances, Vice-President who happens to be the arguably the architect of the Alliance’s victory in the elections, Dr Saulos Chilima was arrested on allegations that he accepted money in exchange for vesting government contracts- in connection with UK based business tycoon, Zuneth Sattar and the President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera went on to uproot the wings of Chilima [stripping him of delegation powers] declining his chances of storming into power in the next elections as per stipulated in their Memorandum of Understandings.

Chilima is accused of receiving $280,000 (£230,000) from a British businessman but pleaded not guilty to the corruption charges levelled against him in court.

Anti-Corruption Bureau had identified him and another 83 Malawian officials as allegedly having corrupt dealings with the British businessman, named as Zuneth Sattar. Dr Chilima popularly known as “Afana Oganiza Boh” who is now out on bail, is facing six charges, the first time a sitting vice-president has been in this position in Malawi.

He was questioned by anti-corruption officials that had been cordoned off by security officers. Previous attempts to question him had been disrupted by his supporters. His backers appeared to clash with police as he entered the court in the capital.

While some Malawians glimpse the arrest as a serious move in the combat against corruption, Dr Chilima’s backers say that it is part of a political witch hunt.

The alliance has had more drama in the 2022 as there was fuss and commotion between the two major parties, Chakwera’s Malawi Congress Party and Chilima’s United Transformation Movement.

Chilima told members of the press at UTM headquarters in Lilongwe that among other terms of the alliance is that President Lazarus Chakwera will rule up until 2025 then him will take over the Presidency.

In his address, Chilima said it was agreed during the formation of their alliance with Malawi Congress Party that they will be equal partners and that President Lazarus Chakwera and Chilima will support each other in their 10-year agreement for each of them to lead one term.

However, MCP in response, said it will follow what constitution stipulates on eligibility and terms of President in the 2025 general elections, countering what Vice President Saulos Chilima.

“from where we stand, the Malawi Congress Party does not have, in its possession, any document that stipulates or points that to the sharing terms between Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera and Dr Saulos Klaus Chilima. In any case, as a law abiding party, we will comply with the dictates of the supreme laws of the land which is our republican constitution,” reads part of the statement.

Currently, Member of Parliament of the UTM Party has been removed from the government side WhatsApp group as MCP are claiming that they have different minds with their counter-part- the crackdown on the UTM MPs came after they voted against the government on the Banking Amendment Bill.

A Member of Parliament from UTM told Malawi News: “All UTM MPs until today are totally removal from government WhatsApp groups and we are not allowed to attend MCP caucuses.”

“It is difficult to hold meetings with people with different minds. It is a great worry. It is true they are not invited to caucuses.

“They were removed because of the way they voted on the Banking Bill Amendment. They decided to vote against their own business [government]. They have done that three times on the same bill.

“That angered some members of the forum. I am not the administrator. I saw them being removed,” Banda told Malawi News.

The Alliance entered 2022 and it 8s going out of it in pieces.

Political Analyst, Ernest Thindwa said the arrest of Chilima on Corruption allegations left him with just a slim chance of becoming the leader of Malawi as per his dreams.

“The double-edged tragedy for Chilima is that it will be an uphill task to claim credit for any Tonse Alliance success given the passivity mode he has been compelled to engage in yet he will be burdened with collective responsibility for any alliance shortcomings or failure to deliver on electoral pledges,” he told Kulinji.com

Will this mark the end of an ambitious young Political expert?

The future of the alliance remains in suspense.