When you study the history of Malawi, you will notice that our Nation has evolved through three significant revolutionary phases. The first one is the colonial phase, which started officially from the early1890s with the British Central African Protectorate, through 1907, when the name was changed to Nyasaland until 1964, when Nyasaland became Malawi. The second one is the independence era, which is also the age of the MCP dictatorship, which began in1964 and collapsed in 1994. And the third one is the democratic dispensation, our own phase of history, which started with the May1994 General Elections, after a triumphant pro-democracy referendum in 1993.
Each one of these chronological epochs of history has an outstanding brave fighter and hero who led the struggles that defined the moments. In the colonial epoch, we have the renowned Pastor John Chilembwe who led an abortive coup against the colonial government in February 1915. But his bravery, strong yearning for the freedom of our forefathers, and his martyrdom earned him a special place among the greatest of our heroes and makers of our history.
The man behind the independence era was Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda. He overthrew the 80 years old British colonial government in 1963, and gave our fathers the right to govern themselves. He immediately plunged Malawi into a one-party dictatorship and subjected Malawians to persecution, mysterious deaths, fear, political imprisonment and detentions. But his bravery and successful overthrow of colonialism and becoming the first President of Malawi, earned him a permanent place among the greatest of heroes and history makers of our Nation.
And Chakufwa Tom Chihana is the hero behind our 21 years old democracy with its thrilling freedoms and human rights that we so much enjoy and abuse today. Though unlike Chilembwe and Dr Banda, Chihana is sadly denied his deservedly place among the greatest of our heroes and history makers, I feel he is probably the bravest of them all and equally deserving of honour.
Today marks the 9th year since Chihana died too early, on June 12 2006 at 67 after succumbing to a brain tumour at Garden City Clinic in South Africa. At the time of his death, Chihana had after decades of exile, lived in Malawi for 14 years, two years of which, between 1992 and 1994, were the peak of his international fame and glory. Chihana stole the international spotlight and backing of Western governments including the USA, and international human rights organisations including Amnesty International, when he defiantly returned from exile in April 1992 and challenged “Mkango,” Ngwazi Kamuzu Banda to give the people of Malawi human rights and democracy.
Those that lived during the era of Dr Banda’s dictatorship can understand better why Chakufwa Chihana’s confrontation with Dr Banda was an unprecedented act of bravely and personal sacrifice. I spent the first 10 years of my life and studied the first five years of my Primary School in Dr Banda’s dictatorship. Though only a primary school kid, I witnessed the dread of Dr Banda that engulfed Malawians – young and old equally. I remember vividly how as primary school pupils we feared to whisper the name of Kamuzu Banda because we believed that he could hear even our whispers. I recall how I feared even to dream about Dr Banda in my sleep because he would know about it and have me fed to crocodiles. Our teachers and the elderly in our communities too held undue fear of Dr Banda, not only because of secret MCP informants that were planted in every community and institutions, but because they too believed that Dr Banda was not just an ordinary human.
Dr Banda was a god; a pure incarnate son of some god. Not much of his earthily life was certainly known about him, and most Malawians, young and old understood his “wamuyaya” title in literal sense. Some said Dr Banda was never going to die. One day in 1996, I met with three elderly men while I was walking home from school. The men were discussing the future of Dr Banda now that he was no longer President and too old at a hundred years of age. They wondered what would befall him. They all had some doubt he was going to die anytime soon, but one of them said in Tumbuka that, “Dazi ilo Kamuzu wazamufwa pera, mitondoli na baphanana navyo vizamlira.” In English, the man said that, “the day Kamuzu shall die, even lizards and grasshoppers will cry their tears out.”
That was the leader whom Chihana challenged, not out of reckless disregard of risk, but boundless measure of courage and self-sacrifice. Chihana knew better how dangerous it was to differ in opinions with Dr Banda’s leadership, because he had already had a bitter experience with Dr Banda since his youth. Chihana and Dr Banda drew their battle lines and locked horns in April 1960 immediately Dr Banda became leader of MCP. Then, only 20 years old, Chihana, was leader of the Trade Union and also a member of the MCP. He challenged Dr Banda’s leadership and Banda expelled him from the MCP. Chihana and Kamuzu did not get along well and Chihana escaped into exile in his early 20s.
Dr Banda still hunted the young Chihana down across borders and arrested him in 1970 while he lived in Kenya where he remained a Trade Unionist. He kept him in detention for seven years, and confined him in a lonely cell for a couple of years where as a political prisoner and an old time enemy of the dictator, he was badly beaten up and mistreated. After his detention, Chihana escaped from Malawi to Europe, and stayed in exile for 15 years before the 1992 heroic return to lead the human rights and democracy struggle.
What interest me the most about the story of the 1992 return of Chihana is that he was uncertain that Dr Banda would let him live and nonetheless very willing and ready to die for Malawi’s democracy. While addressing a press conference in South Africa in the company of his close friends and advisors, Dr Mapopa Chipeta and Ahmed Dassu, as he was about to fly to Lilongwe, Chihana told the Press, that he knew Dr Banda would arrest him upon arrival and he might murder him in some mysterious ways, but his death would only fuel the struggle.
It is sad that such a great son of Malawi, a gallant fighter for the welfare and human rights of the people of Malawi, a maker of history since his teens could be so easily forgotten and ignored by the very politicians who benefit from his courage and sacrifice. It bothers me very much, that such a hero and fighter who stood against an emerging dictator in 1960 even while he was a boy, and spent much of his life between exile and detention for the love of his country, could for reasons unclear be ignored by the very people that are harvesting the fruits of his bravery and suffering.
Just like John Chilembwe and Dr Banda, who are remembered in several ways by having their names engraved on public buildings, roads, institutions and even on our coins and banknotes, it is moral to have Chihana honoured equally. He may not have lived the life of an ideal democrat especially after the loss of the Presidency in the 1994 Elections. He may not have lived the life of a democrat and a worthy hero by becoming the first political harlot who sold his party to the highest bidder in every season, and supported much of Bakili Muluzi’s democratically retrogressive behaviour including the third term bill. But none of his predecessors have clean hands either.
Though Chilembwe is honoured and remember in a special way, his uprising of 1915 did not yield anything, apart from the bloody head which was chopped off Livingstone’s neck with an axe. There is totally nothing that Malawians benefited from the uprising of Chilembwe, and the independence from Nyasaland which occurred 50 years after Chilembwe was not in any way connected to his effort, yet Malawians still honour him as a hero. Dr Banda too is revered for the Malawi’s independence, yet he tortured, murdered and exiled hundreds of innocent Malawians, including the very Chihana who never gave up the fight, yet Malawians find it in their hearts to accept and honour him as hero. Why then can’t Chihana be accepted as hero and get his due honour even with his flaws and political errors just like Chilembwe and Dr Banda?
Chihana received a state funeral in 2006, which I remember even President Bingu WA Mutharika surprisingly did not humble himself enough to attend. I suspect his absence was only a settlement of some political scores and vendetta. But what is the importance of a state funeral if his grave is not respected? Our politicians and of course the people of Malawi must know that future generations will judge us, and when that time comes, let them know that we had the morals of honouring our heroes and history makers without prejudice or favour and only then, will they respect and honour us too.
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