HH risking Chakwera fate, says Kateka…NHP leader compares Hichilema’s rule to Chakwera’s failed reform agenda By TONSE REPORTER New Heritage Party (NHP) president Chishala Kateka has warned President Hakainde Hichilema against following the political path of former Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, accusing both leaders of abandoning democratic reform promises after rising to power. Ms Kateka […]

HH risking Chakwera fate, says Kateka
…NHP leader compares Hichilema’s rule to Chakwera’s failed reform agenda

By TONSE REPORTER

New Heritage Party (NHP) president Chishala Kateka has warned President Hakainde Hichilema against following the political path of former Malawian President Lazarus Chakwera, accusing both leaders of abandoning democratic reform promises after rising to power.

Ms Kateka said the experiences of Malawi and Zambia showed how leaders who campaigned on platforms of transparency, accountability and democratic renewal could gradually adopt authoritarian tendencies once they secured power.

“Both men rose to office on promises of reform, transparency, and democratic renewal, yet both quickly revealed themselves as practitioners of authoritarianism dressed in democratic clothing,” Ms Kateka said.

In a statement titled “From Reformists to Authoritarians: The Betrayal of Democracy in Malawi and Zambia”Ms Kateka said Dr Chakwera’s presidency had become a warning to African democracies after he failed to live up to expectations that followed his 2020 electoral victory.

She said the Malawian leader filled key government positions with allies and family members, shielding individuals accused of corruption and presiding over economic challenges, including rising inflation, currency depreciation and debt problems.

Ms Kateka said Dr Chakwera’s administration had also undermined democratic institutions through interference in the fight against corruption, citing the resignation of former Anti-Corruption Bureau director Martha Chizuma as an example.

She said Zambia was now experiencing a similar trajectory under President Hichilema, arguing that the 2021 election victory that was celebrated as a democratic turning point had instead been followed by increased political, regional, ethnic and religious divisions.

Mr Kateka criticised constitutional reforms pursued by the UPND administration, particularly Bill No. 7, which had been viewed by civil society organisations as an attempt to entrench ruling party dominance.

Ms Kateka said patronage had become widespread under the current administration, citing concerns over appointments within state institutions, including claims regarding the composition of senior police leadership.

Ms Kateka also said the resignation of constitutional lawyer Musa Mwenye from a government-related position represented a sign of growing concern over governance and constitutional reforms.

She also questioned the transparency of the government’s recent recruitment of 4,000 workers, arguing that a process intended to provide employment opportunities had instead raised concerns over fairness and accountability.

The NHP leader further accused the government of undermining its own merit-based principles following allegations that President Hichilema’s son was recruited into the Zambia National Service (ZNS).

Ms Kateka also said remarks by President Hichilema discouraging voters from supporting independent candidates and urging citizens to vote ‘with their brains, not their stomachs’ reflected a worrying attitude towards political competition and citizens’ choices.

She said such statements demonstrated an inclination towards consolidating political power rather than embracing democratic pluralism.

Ms Kateka warned that Zambia could suffer the same consequences as Malawi if leaders failed to respect democratic institutions and prioritised political control over national unity.

“The lesson is timeless and unforgiving: absolute power corrupts absolutely. Reformist leaders who campaign as democrats but govern as autocrats betray not only their citizens but the very idea of democracy itself,” she said.

Ms Kateka urged President Hichilema to reflect on Malawi’s political experience, saying leaders who mistake electoral victories for personal entitlement risk losing public trust and weakening democratic systems.