Chakwera asks Malawians to forgive him for failing to deliver

Former President Lazarus Chakwera has asked Malawians to forgive him for failing to deliver during his administration, in an emotional appeal made at Chimbiya in Dedza on Sunday.

Chakwera made the remarks when he stopped at Chimbiya Market on his way from attending the funeral of the late Professor Zamani Kadzamira in Dedza.

He called on Malawians to forgive one another for disagreements and differences experienced in the past.

“This journey is mainly about forgiving one another because we did not agree and we did not understand each other. If you do not forgive, then God will not forgive us,” Chakwera said.

The former president, who served from 2020 to 2025, also took aim at the current administration over electricity supply and the prices farmers are receiving for their produce.

Chakwera said persistent power outages were affecting businesses and making it difficult for people to plan, while low prices for agricultural produce were putting farmers under pressure.

“Electricity is not reliable. Here at Chimbiya, there is a market where people come to sell their goods. This year, they have simply been taken advantage of and offered very low prices. The farmer does not know what the future holds,” he said.

He said government needed to create conditions in which farming was profitable and small businesses could operate without electricity problems.

“We want farming to benefit you. You, as small business owners, should be able to make profits, and electricity should not be a hindrance,” Chakwera said.

His remarks, however, bring renewed attention to his own administration’s record and the challenges Malawians faced during his five years in office.

Chakwera’s administration faced criticism over economic difficulties, fuel shortages, electricity supply and the rising cost of living.

In 2024, Chakwera himself said his administration had ended blackouts, pointing to efforts to restore power generation after Tropical Storm Ana damaged Kapichira Power Plant.

The former president has also previously apologised to Malawians over problems experienced under his administration. In September 2025, he asked for forgiveness over the fuel crisis, while attributing the shortages to what he described as deliberate sabotage by individuals within the system.

His latest appeal therefore comes against the backdrop of continuing debate over whether his administration delivered on the promises it made when it came to power in 2020.

Chakwera is now a former president after losing office following the 2025 presidential election, which saw Arthur Peter Mutharika return to the presidency.

At Chimbiya, however, Chakwera did not dwell on his past administration, instead urging Malawians to focus on forgiveness while criticising the current government’s handling of electricity and agricultural prices.

His remarks are likely to keep the debate over his record in office alive as he continues his political activities outside government.