By Jones Gadama
LILONGWE MARAVIPOST: An online campaign to abolish Kamuzu Day and replace it with a national day commemorating Malawi’s struggle for multiparty democracy has garnered more than 10,000 signatures within an hour of its launch.
The petition, initiated by US-based Malawian Professor of History and African Culture Mwiza Nkhoma, gained rapid traction following what the organizers described as the Malawi Congress Party’s defiance of state protocols during yesterday’s commemorations.
Nkhoma argues that Malawi’s history has two defining periods that deserve formal recognition: the fight for independence and the fight for multiparty democracy. He contends that while Independence Day already marks the first, a dedicated “Freedom Day” is needed to honor those who fought for democratic reforms.
“We have two distinctive times in our history! The struggle for independence and the struggle for Multiparty democracy! We already commemorate Independence Day and we must have Freedom Day too! It should be restored. We can do away with a birthday of Kamuzu! It is of no significance!” Nkhoma said in the campaign statement.
Kamuzu Day, observed annually on 14 May, marks the birthday of Malawi’s first president, Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda. The proposal seeks to have the day removed from the national calendar and replaced with a public holiday dedicated to remembering the country’s transition to democracy in the early 1990s.
The campaign’s rapid uptake underscores growing public debate over how Malawi should remember its political history and which figures and events deserve national recognition. Supporters say a Freedom Day would better reflect the sacrifices made by Malawians in the push for plural politics.
Government has not yet commented on the petition.
