As Malawi heads to the polls next year, former president Professor Arthur Mtharika has declared he is recontesing the Presidency after losing in the last general elections which saw President Lazarus Chakwera emerge victorious.
On the contrary, former president Arthur Mtharika has continued to enjoy the benefits of a former president with state security, an office and motor vehicles. Arthur Mtharika has 10 state security officers and six motor heavy SUV in his motorcade as he traverses the country holding mass rallies in his campaigns countrywide.
Ironically, Zambia's former president Edgar Lungu is facing the complete opposite. His retirement benefits have been withdrawn, state security withdrawn and he is not allowed to move freely within and outside the country. He has been blocked several times from travelling outside the country for his routine medical check ups.
The main opposition the Patrotic Front have in the last three years of the current Hakainde Hichilema led government, never held a single rally. The democratic space has shrunk to colonial times. The opposition leaders are arrested daily for voicing out dissenting views against those in government.
Former president Edgar Lungu in his recent statement has querried his rivals government Hakainde Hichilema whether Zambia is in a state of emergency. Recently the former president was invited to a charity church service by the Catholic Church to a district on the copperbelt province in Zambia but heavy presence of police had been stationed through out along the great North road in an effort to block him from attending the said events.
Church gathering are cordoned off by police in riot gear soon as politicians attempt to go and pray. The police in Zambia is exercising heavy restraint on any gathering including Church gatherings and are on record threatening citizens from voicing out against the government.
As Zambia goes to the polls in 2026, stakeholders inclusing governance activists Brebner Changala have challenged the international community to call the current government to order in order to prevent chaos and instability ahead of the polls.
Zambia which was highly celebrated in Africa as a shining example of democracy and peace is on the verge of sliding into a fully fledged dictatorship.
By Victor Chaponda
DW-Malawi Correspondent
The author is a Malawian investigative journalist that writes for various international media including CGNTV, Denmark Daily, Euroasia Network etc.
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