The Bonet Framework

I have remained quiet since the 16^th of September 2025. I feel the pain. My heart is bleeding. The changes that have happened during Malawi’s 2025 presidential elections, though not tasty to me, are more of a political milestone and democratic  reckoning. I applaud President Lazarus Chakwera for the peaceful concession following a decisive electoral defeat. It reflects the maturity of our institutions. However, below the surface lies a deeper reality. A lot of people were sick of leaders who don’t make decisions, don’t explain things, and don’t hold themselves accountable.

For the past five years, despite promising infrastructure development, Malawians have experienced economic hardships. There has been rising inflation, forex shortages, fuel scarcity, and a cost of living has overtaken the increase in wages. But then again what deepened this suffering is a pattern of indecisiveness in decision-making. Let me give specific examples

1. The infamous case of fertilizer procurement from a butchery. How was this possible? The Attorney General was sent to recover the money. Didn’t the president know about this? Was anybody made to account for this? Things went on normally as if nothing had happened. That was time for heads to roll.
2. The persistent fuel shortages and power cuts. There was a minister, there was a Board. Nobody bothered. Business was as usual. “Power belongs to us”.
3. Then there were the unresolved controversies surrounding the Bridgin Foundation. This just echoed the “we will change Malawi into the Singapore” mantra. We never saw the Singapore. Maybe we will see it this time around.
4. And came, we will fire all those sabotaging us when we win the September 16^th elections! Really? Why not act immediately! As we waited to fire those sabotaging us, the masses fired us! As funny as it may sound, this is absurd.

My point is that, we got this far because of a leadership culture that hesitated when clarity was needed most. These were not just missteps. These were missed opportunities to lead with integrity.

Then there was another equally damaging situation. There was a rise of cronyism within the corridors of power. The genuine Malawi Congress Party (MCP) members, who had labored for the party’s vision and values, found themselves sidelined. Political opportunists took centre stage. Let’s reflect on this with a sober mind. How many of those that were in cabinet had at one point been associated with the other party? How many of the presidential advisors were picked because they were party loyalists? Your guess is as good as mine.  This erosion of internal accountability weakened the party’s moral authority and fractured its grassroots base. When stewardship is replaced by patronage, the end results is that institutions suffer. In this case, the institution that has suffered most is the Malawi Congress Party, and the future generation.

Malawians have responded not with apathy but with agency. They want change. They want results. They can vote for you even when you do not campaign as long as they think you are “the promised one to bring change”. This move is not a rebuff of democracy. It is its confirmation. It tells us that leaders must be accountable to the people, not insulated by groupings or pomposity.

For me. I take this moment as a call to reimagine leadership. Leadership is not a position. It is a responsibility. It demands clarity of purpose, ethical grounding, and a commitment to generational impact. Winning elections is not enough. Leadership must win trust. How do we win trust? Through transparency, delivery, and a vision that includes every Malawian, especially the younger generation!

The youth is emerging as a political barometer. The youth do not believe in traditional loyalties. They believe in innovation, inclusion, and integrity. They are not mere voters. They are builders of the future. Institutions must rise to meet them with opportunities; not with slogans.

Today, Malawi has passed the test of peaceful transition. The next step for us is to pass the test of purposeful transformation. Let us think about future generations! What is it that we will bequeath them? Rhetorics?