By Brian Kanyenda
In a bid to redress the country’s history, the grouping dubbed Malawi Lost History Foundation in collaboration with Chancol Association of Young Patriots have organized a seminar to be held at Chancellor College a constituent of University of Malawi.
According to one of the organizers the Labor Researcher Paliani Chinguwo, the seminar which targets every Malawian of goodwill is aimed at correcting country’s history which was distorted due to political folly.
Chinguwo who is also a historian said the seminar under the banner ‘Cabinet Crisis and Mwanza War’ is to bring forth accurate information to the public so as to draw some lessons from the past and avoid the repetition of errors made during Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda’s tyrannical era.
He said: “we are expecting to raise awareness to the general public on the most accurate account of the October 1967 Mwanza ‘war’ and the cabinet crisis of 1964 as its contextual background whose details were concealed, distorted and remains misrepresented.
“The seminar would also like to share rare information and draw important lessons from the October 1967 Mwanza ‘war’ and above all the cabinet crisis of 1964. On top of that, we will as well interrogate the relevance of the October 1967 Mwanza ‘war’ within the broader context of the cabinet crisis of 1964 to the struggle for human rights, freedom and democracy in Malawi,” the historian said.
The seminar which is expected to be conducted on 13th October this year is coming after the country has clocked 54 and 51 years after the October 1967 war in Mwanza and Cabinet crisis in 1964 respectively, when some cabinet ministers christened ‘rebels’ revolted against Dr. Banda’s rule.
Chinguwo further said that during the event there are will be presentation of testimonies from people including veteran politician Frank Jiya who witnessed the cause of the insurgence.
He added that the is expected to feature lecture of great country’s historians including Desmond Duduwa Phiri.
Meanwhile the grouping is producing a video documentary on the October 1967 Mwanza war which killed former Home Affairs Minister Yatuta Chisiza.
According to a renowned historian based in Zimbabwe who is also a member of the organization Cuthbert Kachale, Malawi Lost History is intended at straightening out the distortions and deliberate misrepresentation of facts caused by politics of appeasement and history of appeasement favoring Dr. Banda’s era
