What was meant to be a grand campaign launch at Mjamba Freedom Park turned into a silent confession of truth, Professor Peter wa Mutharika, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate, may be on the ballot, but he is clearly not in the race.
Spectators watched in disbelief as the 84-year-old former president failed to climb the stage during the party’s manifesto launch, leaving his supporters stunned.
Arriving on an open vehicle, Mutharika could not manage the few steps to the podium a moment many say exposed the stark reality of his physical frailty.
“This is not the first time,” a concerned supporter whispered.“Even at BICC when he submitted his nomination papers, he struggled to climb to the podium. How will he manage a gruelling national campaign?”.
Those fears deepened when Mutharika, during his speech, repeatedly told the crowd that Malawians will vote on 14 September, instead of the correct date, 16 September.
While his handlers tried to downplay the incident, many in the crowd shook their heads in disbelief.
“These are signs of old age. This is not politics it’s sad,” said one attendee.
Even more telling was the reported plea from Enoch Chihana, the second vice president of the DPP-AFORD alliance, who allegedly advised Mutharika not to campaign, but instead remain at his Page House in Mangochi.
The plea, some believe, is a quiet admission that even DPP’s own allies no longer believe Mutharika is fit to lead a national campaign, let alone the country.
Critics are now labeling DPP’s campaign strategy as a political puppet show, where younger allies are deployed to cover for an immobile and ageing figurehead.
Many recall the 2019–2020 elections, when DPP aligned with UDF so that Atupele Muluzi could do what Mutharika couldn’t: campaign on the ground.
Now, it appears, Chihana is being groomed for the same role, while Mutharika remains a symbolic figure a tired brand kept afloat for lack of alternatives.But even the alliance seems to be fraying.
At the Mount Soche campaign strategy launch, where the room was visibly empty, Chihana and AFORD were treated like uninvited guests.
The event was awash with “DPP this, DPP that,” while AFORD’s name was conspicuously absent. It was Chihana himself who had to remind organizers that this was not a solo show, but an alliance.
“If this is how they treat AFORD now,”said a political analyst,“what do you think will happen if DPP returns to power? AFORD will become another forgotten passenger on the DPP train.”
The writing may already be on the wall. When Chihana arrived in Blantyre yesterday, he was welcomed by a handful of supporters, a stark contrast to the royal treatment reserved for Dr. Jane Ansah, whom DPP is now parading as its next star.
Observers now believe that DPP’s alliance with AFORD is just another convenience, a mirror image of past tactics, where energetic but sidelined leaders are used to mask the party’s deepening leadership vacuum.
As the campaign season heats up, the real question is no longer whether Peter Mutharika can lead Malawi again but whether he can even finish this campaign.