Meet di top comedian and actor Malawi swear in as new vice-president

Dem don swear-in one top comedian wey turn politician, Michael Usi as Malawi vice-president.

Dem swear-am in for one ceremony wey hold for parliament for di kontri capital, Lilongwe.

Di 55-year-old dey replace Saulos Chilima, wey die for inside one plane crash earlier dis month, alongside eight oda pipo.

Dr Usi bin receive standing ovation wen e tok afta im inauguration, e say im accept di role wit a mixture of sadness and gratitude.

E promise to honour im predecessor memory and thank President Lazarus Chakwera for believing in am as e take up im position as vice-president for di power-sharing government.

Im appointment don leave Malawians divided.

Some don dey share videos of im acting career on social media and dey question weda e dey serious enough to take up such senior role.

Odas however, don hail President Chakwera say e appoint Chilima party deputy and for say e honour di spirit of di alliance between dia two parties.

Profile of Michael Usi

Dr Usi no be stranger to controversy sake of im acting career.

Pipo sabi am well-well as “Manganya”, di name of one cunny character e still dey play for one popular TV sitcom Tikuferanji.

Im aide tell BBC on Friday say e bin dey feem one episode as recently as last week.

E dey regular on national radio and television for more dan two decades, and dat one make am one of di most recognisable local celebrities.

Dr Usi also na passionate advocate for developing and promoting Malawi film industry. Money no dey di industry and e dey difficult to make a living for dia.

In fact, e fund im first acting career by working as a hospital clinician.

E get qualification for clinical medicine – na clinician dey see most patients for Malawi as dem no too get doctors for di kontri.

Dis don drive im passion to improve di lot of poor communities and for many years, e bin work for Adventist Development and Relief Agency (Adra), one Christian non-governmental organisation.

E serve dia for various capacities, including heading di organisation as dia country director - and through Adra, bin fund various soaps on radio and TV wey di work na to educate pipo about HIV plus oda social issues.

Di new vice-president, wey dey married wit two daughters, also get PhD in youth development from di University of Bedfordshire for UK.

Despite im position for Adra, e no stop im career - and e dey follow join for various productions, mostly for di local Chichewa language.

As a popular comedian, e start one political movement around seven years ago - many people bin tink say na just prank.

Dis na because e bin get reputation as trickster - im most popular trick na to dey fool pipo say im be good boxer for high school and im dey plan to return to di ring.

E bin organise one non-title fight against one leading local boxer. Ogbonge crowd bin turn up for wetin dem tink say na real boxing match, only to discover say na scene for one of im television plays.

Dr Michael Usi as politician

However, e turn out say im political ambitions dey real.

Im movement dey called Odya zake alibe Mulandu, wey translate to “ pesin wey no take wetin belong to odas but only dey chop wetin e get na free man".

E soon become part of one newly formed political party, di UTM, wey Dr Chilima head.

Dis na ahead of di 2019 elections - and Dr Usi and Dr Chilima begin go rallies togeda.

As dem sabi tok well-well, dia meetings dey often draw huge crowds and for February 2019, Chilima name im new political associate as im running mate for di vote.

Di two bin come third, but one high court bin cancel di results sake of irregularities.

For inside one fresh elections wey hold for year 2020, UTM bin join eight oda opposition political parties to form one electoral alliance, wia dem pick Dr Chakwera as presidential candidate and Dr Chilima as di running mate, wey lead to victory.

Dr Usi den be Chilima deputy, and e bin dey part of di cabinet as minister of tourism, culture and wildlife, position e hold between July 2020 and February 2023.

E later move to become di minister of natural resources and climate change, di role e dey until im elevation to vice-president.

Some senior members of UTM no dey im inauguration on Friday – wey show say division dey di party ova im appointment.

Dr Usi no avoid di issue for im swearing-in, as e promise to get di party togeda so dat dem go fit heal and honour di legacy of Chilima, wey dem regard as magnetic politician wit special connection wit pipo, especially di youth.