It is campaign season in Malawi, and so the promises have started to be made. But whether they are just hot air or whether a few of them will live up to peoples expectations, is a different story altogether.

But most Malawians, unfortunately, forget too quickly. Which incentivizes crooked (or ‘semi-crooked’) politicians to stand on podiums and make appetizing but altogether absurd promises. Promises on which they have no intention to deliver.

Remember Bingu’s promise to transform Malawi into Singapore? Yes, that one. And remember that claim that he would fight corruption? How so many people went along with it, eagerly voted for him, lapping up every word that came out of his mouth like thirsty dogs. Only to face crushing disappointment when Bingu’s people were caught red-handed with their hands in the national cookie jar?

Remember Peter Mutharika’s 2014 DPP manifesto, where he promised that he would provide “Total Security” and would build international airports in Karonga, Mzimba and Nsanje – among other districts? Peter Mutharika was also big on anti-corruption promises. And like his brother, Peter’s people too swindled, stole and embezzled their way through the national cookie 🍪🫙…

What about Abusa’s 1 million jobs, and that laughable promise to take Malawi to ‘Canaan’? Catapulting our third world country to the lofty heights of the land of milk and honey. How have those false promises turned out?

Now Joyce Banda has joined this shameless circus, and says she has already secured 100,000 jobs abroad for Malawi’s youths? And her supporters are shouting “ilo boma”, and “bolaamayi”…

It’s farce. It’s not funny anymore. No wonder others among us think we are a country of broken promises. A far cry from the reputed “Warm heart of Africa”…

However, the quieter, more thoughtful side of me thinks that maybe Malawians just haven’t learned the lessons from the past, which we should have learned by now in our country’s story. Looking at Lazarus Chakwera’s lackluster first term, there’s a strong case to be made to support the idea that as a country we have dismally failed to learn from the lies of our former presidents. We are like rebellious teenagers who don’t listen to their parents, and who have to wait until they’re 40, before they realise that their parents had been right all along.

In other words in Malawi our repetitive trauma is that we vote into office scoundrels who talk big on the campaign trail, who sound convincing and knowledgeable (in order to con us to vote for them), but once elected into office, they immediately change colours and break almost all their campaign promises, failing to deliver on the basics that can transform people’s lives.

I’m not saying there aren’t legitimate reasons to explain why we vote for … the wrong type of leaders. Of course there are reasons. But maybe, despite those reasons, and despite the dysfunctional electoral framework our country has, Malawi actually deserves the leaders it elects?

Oh, you can’t say that, that’s insulting, disparaging and inconsiderate. People vote based on a whole list of reasons, and for some people it’s just a protest vote. Also the poverty in Malawi skews our choices.

That may be true, but the picture appears to be getting worse, with no end in sight. I mean, since 1994 Malawians have held democratic elections, but administration after administration fails to improve the quality of life for the majority of them, and the quality of life for many seems to be getting worse.

Take Peter Mutharika for example, it doesn’t make sense that despite his poor governance record, in the whole of his DPP Party, there isn’t anyone younger, fresher and more knowledgeable than the 85 year old, who is capable enough to stand and represent DPP in this year’s elections. Or does it make sense, in 2025 – considering all the social, political, and technological changes across the world?

Isn’t this yet another sign that we don’t seem to be thinking about the long-term idea of building a country that actually works. Short-termism on full display.

Because in a ‘normal’ country, at a time like this, when there are so many challenges and so many uncertainties in the world, you would be fronting capable candidates who understand the times and who are forceful enough to tackle with vigor the myriad of challenges most African countries now face.

Let me put it this way, if Joyce Banda, Peter Mutharika or even Chakwera were to win this year’s election. And 5 years down the line we compared their achievements with what Ibrahim Traoré achieved within the same period in Burkina Faso, who do you suppose would have covered much ground? Who do you think would have achieved more tangible and transformative things? Our agogos or the dynamic and energetic Traoré?

• Wode Maya went to Burkina Faso

So, let Joyce Banda launch her manifesto and excite her base with a fresh set of sweet sounding promises. Let her froth at the mouth as she loudly denounces all the failures of the incumbent, and make fun of the competition she will face in September. All neatly punctuated by nthungululu. We’ve seen that script before. It’s freely available in many videos on YouTube. But let her just not forget… that some Malawians will remember what she says today. And it may either add to or subtract from her credibility.