KARONGA (MaraviPost)–After visiting the people affected with floods in Karonga and making the controversial pronouncement of renaming Karonga-Chitipa road to Bingu High-way on Friday, Malawi leader Peter Mutharika also took time to visit the grave of one of the nationalist freedom fighters during the struggle for self rule some 60 years ago—Dunduzu Chisiza.In his tribute, Mutharika called upon Malawians to be proud of people like Chisiza who agitated for change of governance by speaking out for the voiceless without fear.

“Just the thought that in the formative years of our nation we had in our midst an astute writer, political and economic thinker gives us great enlightenment and pride of where we belong as a people. Chisiza and many others made sure that voices of the minority were well represented albeit in a regime that limited many freedoms for its citizenry,” said Mutharika on his facebook page.

He further said that his government will ensure that all people who have contributed to the nation’s birth and growth are accorded the respect and value they deserve within the social fabric of the country.

“All our heroes will continue receiving the honour they deserve in the annals of our history archives,” said Mutharika.

Chisiza – a known writer, political and economic thinker – played a critical role in policy matters as Nyasaland was metamorphosing into a new country known as Malawi.

In the short time of his prominence during the late 50s and early 60s, Chisiza gained enormous respect in the West for his intellect, energy and pioneering ideas. In July 1962 he hosted an economic development symposium, sponsored by the Ford Foundation, at which authorities from around the world presented papers on African and Malawian development.

He himself gave a presentation warning of the dangers of dictatorship in emerging African countries. Among his publications was a paper entitled “Africa – What Lies Ahead?”, published by the African-American Institute, New York, in 1962.

Chisiza prominence, however, made him cross paths with founding President Kamuzu Banda who saw the young man as a political threat. It was rumoured that the differences between the two made Chisiza contemplate of forming an opposition party together with the likes of Masauko Chipembere. Unfortunately, all Kamuzu’s enemies were jailed, killed or sent to exile within the same time.

Dunduzu Chisiza officially died in “a road accident” at Thondwe in Zomba in 1964 in suspicious circumstance.