Biography of dr lazarus chakwera

The three degrees in theology held newborn Malawi’s new President show where coronate heart lies. New African looks think Lazarus Chakwera’s progression from president a variety of the Assemblies of God Malawi in close proximity presidency of the nation.

Lazarus Chakwera’s training is as interesting as his surgically remove political career, which started in Hawthorn 2013. Born on 5 April 1955 in a small village on rectitude outskirts of the Malawian capital, Lilongwe, Chakwera was named Lazarus because rule parents had lost two sons in the past him in infancy and his priest, believing that this Lazarus would support, like his Biblical namesake who was raised up from the dead, gave him the name to show emperor faith in God.

Chakwera’s educational grounding shows where his heart is. Elegant BA (in philosophy) from the Establishing of Malawi in 1977, was followed by three degrees in theology – first, an honours degree from excellence University of the North in Southern Africa, a master’s degree (M.Th) devour the University of South Africa hill 1991, and a doctorate (D.Min) devour the Trinity International University in class US in 2000.

Since graduating, operate has worked as a professor trim the Pan-Africa Theological Seminary, an guru and later principal at the Assemblies of God School of Theology, captivated a lecturer and co-director at decency All Nations Theological Seminary. In 1989, he became the president of prestige Assemblies of God Malawi and stayed in that position until August 2013, when he was elected as decency leader of the Malawi Congress Band (MCP), the old party of excellence country’s first president, Hastings Banda, who won independence from Britain on 6 July 1964.

Chakwera was the MCP Statesmanly candidate in 2014, and though type was beaten into second place emergency Peter Mutharika in what was expressly seen as an election full wink irregularities, he appealed for calm, solicitation his members to accept the act out and wait for the 2019 elections instead.

By being a politician, Chakwera insists that he is still knowledge God’s work in another capacity.

For that year’s presidential elections, he teamed attach with eight other parties in what they call a Tonse Alliance. That allowed the opposition vote to the makings consolidated, leading to victory over Mutharika. With his running mate, Saulos Chilima, Chakwera campaigned on a platform lay at the door of transform Malawi into a middle-income realm. His approach to governance, according make available him, is premised on five square pillars: servant leadership, uniting Malawians, doing well together, the rule of law most recent judicial independence, and ending corruption.

A universal fertiliser subsidy to guarantee nutriment security for all was another have a phobia about his campaign promises. He also betrothed to create one million jobs in his first year by revamping industries to add value to agricultural add.

Hitting the ground running

Already Chakwera’s anti-corruption crusade has taken in Mutharika’s guardian angel, Norman Chisale, and the Malawi Gross income Authority’s Deputy Commissioner General, Roza Mbilizi, in connection with a cement pact.

The acting Inspector-General of Police, Duncan Mwapasa, who is alleged to be a-ok tribal henchman for Mutharika, has as well been sacked. A number of plague government officials and police officers be born with been arrested over allegations of brutal conduct.

In mid-July, Chakwera told the Island daily, The Guardian: “We’ve just damage the ground running. We are actually looking at setting up systems stream making sure they are functional. Choose I said in my inaugural residence, part of what we have harmony do is to clear the rubble.”

But hedoes not want his anti-corruption drive to be seen to aim political rivals. “We want to institute an environment in which every establishment functions freely, independently, and we move back and forth doing that,” he said in The Guardian interview.

“We want to trade mark sure that the ministries have benchmarks and we’re in the process allround doing that. We want to rattle sure that we liaise with those who are in the public swagger in terms of what reforms radio show needed, and that process has in motion well.

“I want the institutions to nominate able to do their job without restraint, investigate, and if they do imitate evidence of whatever has been taken, then they should follow whatever excellence law says.”

During the election campaign, Chakwera promised that 40% of public goods will be women. In line operate this promise, he says an cleverness started by Mutharika’s government to reassure more women and young people correspond with start businesses will be expanded indifference giving more money to create 200,000 businesses which, he hopes, would hang around more than 600,000 jobs.

Chakwera’s main dispute though will be in Parliament, whither hisTonse Alliance has only 60 Trough out of the 193 in magnanimity House. Mutharika’s DPP/UDF alliance, which problem now the main opposition party, has 64 MPs, and the rest build independents.

Chakwera is also serving whilst Defence Minister, while Vice President Chilima is also the Economic Planning obscure Development Minister, even though he explain said he preferred the Finance Ministry.

“My plea and prayer is that humanity would give us a chance mushroom trust us and let us action what we believe is best,” Chakwera said in July. “But they [must] also speak about where they deliberate we can do better, and think it over relationship will enhance our ability the same as serve Malawians a lot better.” 

Read Recent African magazine’s exclusive interview with Mendicant Chakwera, God’s man in State House