The new president of Malawi, Lazarus Mccarthy Chakwera, is a cleric, who headed the country’s Assemblies of God for 22 years before delving into politics.
Chakwera was inaugurated as Malawi’s sixth president on June 28, replacing Peter Mutharika whom he had defeated in the June 23 election by receiving 58 per cent of the votes to Mr Mutharika 38 per cent.
He won the election on the platform of the Tonse Alliance, which comprised nine parties, including his Malawi Congress Party (MCP), United Transformation Movement (UTM) led by a former vice president, Saulos Chilima.
Chikwera polled 2.6 million votes to beat Mutharika of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), who made an alliance with Atupele Muluzi, leader of the opposition United Democratic Front, and got 1.7 million votes.
The candidate of Mbakuwaku Movement for Development Party, Peter Kuwani, came third with 32,400 votes.
From poverty to prominence
Chakwera was born in Lilongwe on April 5, 1955. His birth followed the death of two brothers who died in their infancy.
The new president was named Lazarus after the biblical Lazarus who died but was raised to life after four days by Jesus Christ.
Chakwera’s father reportedly had a vision that his son would not die like his two previous sons despite some challenges.
Chakwera attended Malembo Primary School and later proceeded to Mtendere Secondary School. He thereafter attended the University of Malawi where he graduated in 1977 with a degree in Philosophy.
He later proceeded to the University of the North, Sovenga, South Africa where he bagged a degree in Theology and a masters from the University of South Africa in 1991.
He was awarded a doctorate by the Trinity International University, Deerfield, Illinois, in the U.S in 2000 while the Pan Africa Theology Seminary awarded him professorship in 2005.
Chakwera got married to Monica in 1977. He had met her during their active days in the Student Christian Organisation of Malawi. They are blessed with four children, some of whom are pastors with their own ministries.
Journey to Politics
In a video posted on Facebook monitored by Church Times, Chakwera, who led Assemblies of God between 1989 and 2013, said it was God that redirected his life to politics.
According to him, he talked to God and read the scriptures until God spoke to his heart about his new vocation.
He said, “God was not saying I’m pulling you out of ministry, God was saying I am extending your ministry so that you are able to pastor a whole nation.”
“God was saying, I want you to get in and get involved,” he said.
Chakwera, who was leader of opposition in the country’s National Assembly, said he would not have become president if not God’s will.
“It has been another point of grace in my life because I never dreamt for a day that I would be running for public office after I’ve been in ministry all my life. So to me really, grace is spelt, Jesus. Grace is what the Lord has done and taken and considering a person like myself becoming a part of His family.
“I cannot claim or lay claim on any good thing that I did to bring me this favour. That is grace to me because I understand that I wouldn’t be where I am or who I am if it hadn’t been for Jesus. So grace Is Jesus.” he said.
God’s grace
Chakwera attributed his victory in the presidential election and ultimate rise to power to God’s grace.
“You know I look at my life and all that I’ve become as a result of God’s Grace. I was born with some kind of impediment, I couldn’t talk to people, you know if there were three or five people I just shut down,” the president said.
“I wasn’t able to communicate but God changed my whole life and future after I met him personally and he redirected my life towards the ministry. I have seen God’s grace, I have preached to 5, 50, and more than 50,000 people. It has just taken God’s grace. There is no way I could have ever dreamt that was gonna be possible.”