Malawi’s opposition leader Lazarus Chakwera was on Saturday declared the winner of a re-run presidential election.

This was a dramatic reversal of incumbent Peter Mutharika’s discredited win 13 months earlier in a process that analysts viewed as a triumph for democracy in Africa.

Malawi has been under the rule of a revolutionary party for more than two decades like most Southern African countries.

According to analysts the move debunks the myth that Africa is perpetually challenged when it comes to democracy, the rule of law and governing.

This is a hugely significant moment in Malawi’s political history, evident that neither the courts nor the electorate were prepared to be bullied or influenced by presidential power.