Listening to the Commission of Inquiry into the aircraft crash that claimed the lives of 9 Malawians, together with former vice-president Saulos Chilima, was a painful reminder of what this nation has misplaced. It felt like the ultimate nail within the coffin, a painful reminder of an irreplaceable loss Malawi remains to be grappling with.

Chilima was not only a politician; he was a beacon of hope and a logo of the management Malawians yearn for. His charisma, vitality and readability of goal made him stand out in a political panorama typically characterised by mediocrity. It’s arduous to think about the 2025 elections with out him—with out his presence crisscrossing the nation, rallying folks and galvanizing them to demand higher.

As the countdown to 2025 intensifies, political events are ramping up their campaigns, but one thing feels profoundly absent. No chief instructions consideration, respect and hope as Chilima did. The speeches from the present crop of leaders really feel uninspired and mechanical, devoid of the fervour and authenticity Chilima delivered to the desk.

Chilima set a regular—he made Malawians imagine they deserved higher,and that management may very well be visionary. He impressed Malawians to dream past the established order. His capability to attach with folks and articulate their aspirations was unparalleled. He wasn’t good, however he represented a break from the drained rhetoric and uninspired governance that has plagued Malawi for years.

In distinction, right this moment’s political scene seems like a void. The leaders vying for workplace appear timid, indecisive, or out of contact. Many are both previous their prime or too preoccupied with inside squabbles to current a united entrance or a compelling imaginative and prescient for Malawi’s future. The opposition, fragmented and distracted, has failed in its oversight position and seems incapable of providing a reputable different.

The lack of Chilima is greater than the lack of a person; it’s the lack of what he symbolised—a possible turning level for Malawi.

Malawians are actually left to navigate the murky waters of 2025 with leaders who encourage little confidence. The query stays; will there ever be one other Chilima? Someone who can reignite the hope he left behind and lead Malawi with the braveness, charisma and imaginative and prescient it so desperately wants?

For now, the reply is unclear. What is for certain, although, is that Malawi deserves leaders who not solely aspire to energy, but additionally to make a distinction. Leaders who encourage hope.