Vice President Michael Usi launched his Odya Zake Alibe Mlandu Party Sunday, but failed to clarify the party’s agenda ahead of the September 16 general elections.
Throughout his 42-minute speech, Usi did not explain what Odya Zake Alibe Mlandu stands for or what changes it intends to bring to Malawi’s political landscape, which already has around 25 political parties.
Instead, the State vice president spent considerable time boasting about the party’s purported large following and the solid structures it has established on the ground.
Attendees left the rally without a clear understanding of what Odya Zake Alibe Mlandu plans to do to revitalise the country’s struggling economy.
Usi did not address pressing issues such as the foreign exchange shortage, the weaknesses in the education system or how to strengthen the country’s agriculture and mining sectors.
He claimed that the problem in Malawi is not the manifestos themselves, but rather “bad people” in government who are obstructing progress.
“Manifestos of former presidents Bakili Muluzi, Bingu wa Mutharika, Joyce Banda and Peter Mutharika and President Lazarus Chakwera could have delivered development had it not been for the bad people in government,” Usi said.
He charged that Malawi has no room for such civil servants and said that Odya Zake Alibe Mlandu aims to remove and even arrest them in order to propel Malawi to greater heights.
Usi also took the opportunity to criticise his former party, UTM, claiming he was ousted as president due to jealousy.
He alleged that certain individuals in UTM spread lies to UTM founding leader Saulos Chilima in an attempt to have him fired, but their efforts were unsuccessful because Chilima saw through their deceit.
Usi further accused some UTM members of pretending to love Chilima more in his death, claiming that only two people in the party, Khwesi Msusa and Newton Kambala, genuinely loved Chilima.
Regarding whether the party will field a presidential candidate in the upcoming elections or form an alliance with other parties, Usi said: “That a decision will be made in the near future.”
Odya Zake Alibe Mlandu’s Secretary-General, Happy Kondowe, said the idea behind the party was “conceived in 1991”. He could not elaborate how.
Kondowe said that the core aim of Odya Zake Alibe Mlandu is to encourage Malawians to become self-sufficient.
He added that for Malawians to achieve independence, they need access to jobs and opportunities to run businesses that can support them financially.
Kondowe further said that Odya Zake Alibe Mlandu is not aimed at attacking other political parties, but is prepared to respond if provoked
