By Amb. Anthony Mukwita wrote-
Africa-Press – Cape verde. On September 16, 2025, Malawians queued under the warm sun to cast ballots in a presidential election that would echo far beyond its borders. The result? A seismic shift.
Former president Peter Arthur Mutharika, 85, of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), surged to victory with 2,954,553 votes (71.2%), defeating incumbent Lazarus Chakwera, 70, of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP), who garnered 990,872 votes (23.9%). Dalitso Kabambe, 52, of the United Transformation Movement (UTM), trailed with 204,271 votes (4.9%).
Yet the true story isn’t the numbers, it’s the nobility. Chakwera, a theologian-turned-president, conceded with grace, declaring, “It is only right that I concede defeat out of respect for your will as citizens and out of respect for the constitution”.
His exit mirrors Zambia’s sixth President Edgar Lungu in 2021, who bowed out with dignity, and Botswana’s Ian Khama in 2018, who handed over power without drama, later Mogwetsi to Duma Gideon Boko. Ghana, too, has seen peaceful transitions since the comeback of President John Dramani.
But beneath the democratic dazzle lies voter fatigue. Across the region, citizens are weary of promises unkept—Malawi’s inflation has hovered above 20%, fuel queues snake through cities, and over 70% of Malawians live below the poverty line.
Ghana’s youth unemployment and Botswana’s inequality equally stirred similar discontent. The electorate in Africa is no longer enchanted by slogans—they demand delivery, jobs and affordable food, electricity and fuel.
The campaign trail was shadowed by tragedy: Vice President Saulos Chilima’s untimely death in a plane crash weeks before the vote. His widow, Mary Chilima, stepped into the fray, rallying voters with poise and pain, a symbol of resilience in mourning.
Chakwera’s legacy, however, is not defeat—it’s statesmanship. He refused to drag Malawi into the dark past of disputed polls, like Kenya 2007 or Zimbabwe 2008.
Instead, he joins Zambia’s Kenneth Kaunda, who in 1991 accepted defeat to Frederick Chiluba, setting a precedent for peaceful transitions in Zambia and beyond.
The message to incumbents? Voters are watching. Democracy is no longer a borrowed garment—it’s tailored to African aspirations.
The ballot is sharper than the bullet, and the continent is learning that power is lent, not owned.
From Lilongwe to Lusaka, Accra to Gaborone, the winds of democracy are rising. And under African skies, they carry not just ballots—but hope.
Amb. Anthony Mukwita is an Author & International Relations Analyst.
Source: zambianobserve
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