Former Malawi President Arthur Peter Mutharika has finally bowed out of the presidential race following mounting pressure over his advanced age.
However, instead of bringing relief to the disintegrating Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), his bowing out is threatening to further tear the party apart following revelation that the ageing leader has hand-picked his nephew, Dr Dalitso Kabambe as the presidential candidate for both the DPP and UTM.
The DPP Secretary General Peter Mukhitho, of the Noah and the fish fame, announced on Tuesday that the DPP is discussing with possible partners for an electoral alliance but sources have revealed that a deal has already been sealed with the UTM.
This week a leaked conversation revealed that three Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) vice presidents were plotting to exert pressure on Mutharika to force him to step aside as the party’s presidential candidate.
The leaked confidential exchange from within the DPP’s Central Executive Committee revealed that Hon. Japie Mhango (Vice President for the North), Hon. Bright Msaka (Vice President for the East), and Hon. Joseph Mwanamvekha (Vice President for the South) have been strategizing to convince the party to endorse a younger and more “electable” candidate.
This followed a bold open letter from the DPP concerned youths to APM also urging him to allow for a generational transition within the party.
In the letter dated April 17, 2025, the youths expressed concern that the DPP risks becoming uncompetitive and irrelevant if it fails to embrace new, energetic leadership capable of connecting with a younger, dynamic voter base.
The 86-year old Mutharika has of late looked frail, weak and sickly, a situation that raised concern across the political divide as to whether he would be able to conduct a formidable campaign ahead of the elections.
While most of the DPP members have welcomed APM’s decision to step aside, his decision to bring his homeboy and nephew Kabambe on board has torn the DPP apart as some of Mutharika’s inner-circle are not happy that the whole big DPP should be swallowed by the tiny UTM just because Mutharika wants to pass the DPP political power to his nephew.
The discussions with the UTM have also brought further discontent among some of the DPP and UTM senior members and leaders who feel that they have been not involved enough with some of them hearing the news through social media.
“We are only hearing this from Facebook pages. The discussions are being handled like a family affair. For DPP is understandable since the party belongs to the Mutharika’s but not for UTM. Kabambe has to tread carefully on this or he might face an internal coup,” said one UTM senior member.
In an interview with Zodiak, Mukhitho said the party will soon issue a statement on who they have agreed to partner with in an electoral alliance in a bid to match the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) during the elections.
Mukhitho said the DPP has come up with a decision of getting a leader outside the party to respect the sentiments from most Malawians.
“Whoever will lead the alliance will be known after we have finalized our discussions which we have already started with some of the political parties,” he said.
Political analyst Victor Chipofya has said that the DPP has made a good decision especially considering that there is no single party that can stand up to the MCP on its own during the elections.
Apparently, in all this drama the biggest loser is Norman “Pythius Hiwa” Chisale, bodyguard and close ally to Mutharika, who has been pushing for the old man’s come back.
While some party members have openly called for generational change, others — including Chisale and a faction of loyalists such as Mukhitho, former First Lady Gertrude Mutharika and Vice President for the Central Region Alfred Gangata—have been pushing Mutharika to contest the 2025 presidential race, despite his advanced age.
Chisale’s push divided the party, with some viewing it as a move to maintain influence through an ageing leadership, while others argue it undermines opportunities for fresh, visionary leaders to emerge.
Others believed that with a number of cases hanging over his head, Chisale was eager to use Mutharika to ensure a win that will lead to him having his many court cases dropped thereby evading justice.
Chisale faces multiple charges that include fraud and money laundering linked to the K5 billion cement importation scandal as well as the certificate forgery and theft case. Despite overwhelming evidence, the cement gate case has experienced numerous delays, and Chisale remains out on bail while assets worth K1.7 billion are under forfeiture proceedings.
