ANGRY CITIZENS STONE MALAWI PRESIDENTIAL MOTORCADE

The people, united, are unstoppable. And, one man can attest to this: Malawi's president, Lazarus Chakwera.

According to local media reports, funeral-procession mourners in the Ndirande Township, near the second-largest city, Blantyre, refused to give way on 19 January to Chakwera's motorcade. The president was on his way to Chileka International Airport for a flight to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The blockade reportedly led to a scuffle between security forces and the crowd, with a few stones apparently thrown at the convoy. Three people had been arrested, but Malawian Director of Public Prosecutions Masauko Chamkakala dropped the charges on 25 January. All three are now out of jail.

This incident has raised questions about Chakwera's popularity. The preacher-turned-politician was ushered into office in 2020 after defeating incumbent Peter Mutharika. He was elected on a wave of goodwill that has since crashed after his failure to deliver on campaign promises to end corruption and nepotism, as well as revitalise the economy.

Chakwera's term in office has been characterised by a myriad of economic and social challenges, such as rising unemployment and out-of-control inflation. In November, the country's currency was devalued by 44 percent, catapulting commodities prices.