Politics and Geographical

M'mbadwa Party The robust opposition party to Dr Banda's MCP in 1963 which caused mayhem in Nyasaland on the eve of independence. Early 60s in Nyasaland,there were two African opposition parties, TDT Banda's Congress Liberation Party and Chester Katsongas Christian Democratic Party. TDT Banda formed his party because he was  removed from the Presidency of Nyasaland African Congress to pave way for Dr Banda. And Chester Katsonga formed his because,,,   the financial sacrifices he made in chairing the reception to greet Dr Banda on his return in 1958 were not rewarded. These parties united later to form the Christian Liberation Party. Katsongas house and his bar Chester's Bar were set on fire by the followers of Dr Banda of the Malawi Congress Party. The case was taken to court and Malawians were on top of their voices that Katsonga's premises were not the first to be set on fire. TDT Banda did possess a degree of support not only in Nkhata Bay, his home district but ...

The History of Ngoni in Zomba, Chiradzulu, Blantyre and Cholo Why did the patches of  marauding Ngoni fighters settle in these areas. When Mputa led his Ngoni across Nyasaland in 1860s to the north-east side of Lake Nyasa he came in contact with another Ngoni group nicknamed Magwangwara at Matengo with their leader Zulu. Mputa was killed in one of the fights there. His younger brother famous by his nickname Chidyaonga because of his love for wars took over leadership  Chidyaonga descended south... east of Lake Nyasa and met a Nyanja Chief in Mangochi called Kalimakudzuru who asked Chidyaonga to assist the Nyanja fight the Yaos who had conquered Mangochi and surrounding areas from the Nyanja. Chidyaonga attacked Chiripa's  Yao settlement at Kongwe  and drove them south to Chikala  hills in Machinga. Kalimakudzuru infact told Chidyaonga to settle in the surrounding areas of Ntcheu, Dedza and Domwe to control the Yao. Chidyaonga ruled the Nyanja country from Linthi...

Why the Ngoni invaded and settled in parts of Zomba, Chiradzulu, Cholo and Blantyre. When Kalimakudzuru the Nyanja Chief in Mangochi then,, asked the Ngoni to attack the Yao.. The Ngoni went further to attack all the tribes north of Zomba and  Matope area North of Blantyre then. The tribes fled to lowershire to seek refuge to the Makololo Chiefs. Chikumbu,, another Yao notorious slave capturing trader descended on Blantyre and settled at Nguludi capturing the Mang'anja at will in the Shire highlands selling them to the Arabs. The Ngoni reacted by sending troops to drive the Yao out of Blantyre. The Yao then moved east driving the Nyanja/Mang'anja owners of the land into the hills. Kasisi and Mlauri..  Makololo Chiefs sent Gwaza and Mpimbi to settle on the uppershire Matope  area to control the natives and the turmoil. The upper shire victims were comprised of the Nyanja originals, Chipeta and Mang'anja. In 1884 the Ngoni left the Mangoniland and descended on the Shire hig...

The 1915 attack on Nguludi Catholic Mission  After dark on Saturday 23 January 1915,  the priests at Nguludi were roused by noise coming from the Providence Industrial Mission which was almost 6 miles away from Nguludi. From 4 miles,  the sound of trumpets, yelling screaming,  another sound of an enormous war drum, fireworks and gun fire could be heard. Meanwhile at 7 am Sunday morning, Father Guimard met a group of rebels coming from Blantyre while he was going to say mass at Limbe Cathedral just after Mapanga. The Priest swore on his breviary, taken by the rebels to be a Bible, he was not man of war. He further lied that he was on the side of the rebels.  The rebels allowed him to pass thinking he was one of the Blantyre Mission new arrivals. That Sunday evening, the 24th of January, the Assistant District Commissioner for Chiradzulu sent a warning to Nguludi to be vigilant of an impending attack. On 25th Government troops attacked  PIM and exchange of fi...

David Chiwanga, one of the most brilliant minds of his time.  David Chiwanga was born on 15th December 1942. He started his education at HHI and later went to St Patricks Secondary School. He did his O levels and did well in Mathematics, Statistics and English. He later went to Colby College (Bunda/Luanar) where he graduated in 1963. Chiwanga worked in the Ministry of Agriculture  as an instructor.  David Chiwanga hailed from Chikwawa. He joined politics in 1976 as a Member of Parliament. Dr Banda recognised David Chiwanga's brilliance and appointed him on several roles in government.  In 1981 he was appointed Minister of Housing and Development. By 1982 David Chiwanga was the Minister of Agriculture.  During the parliament crisis in March and May 1983, David Chiwanga was the main speaker in parliament who dazzled the other MPs by his eloquence on the heated debate that erupted. Chiwanga stood up and criticised Dr Banda for letting corruption to creep into the g...

The 18 May 1983 Cabinet Ministers Murder in Malawi. The Last Missing Piece of the Mwanza Accident Case Jigsaw Puzzle. In the early 1980s, John Ngwiri had gone so powerful that most decisions which Dr Banda made passed through John Ngwiri.  Ngwiri was not just a mere top Civil Servant, he was Dr Banda’s trusted policy implementer respected by all cabinet ministers. The Trustees of Press Trust included: Dr Banda, the settlor, the then Minister of Finance, Chakakala Chaziya,  Aaron Gadama, and yours truly  John Ngwiri. It came as a shock when Dr Banda forced John Ngwiri to ‘retire’ in December 1985. Age was cited as the reason for Ngwiri’s so called retirement from Civil Service as he was aged 55 years old. Sam Kakhobwe succeeded Ngwiri and a few years later, Justin Malewezi took over from Kakhobwe. Mac  Kamwana was forced to retire two years later in 1987 aged 51 and was replaced by his deputy L. G Ngwata. Ngwiri went to live at his farm in Ntcheu peacefully and his na...

The Blantyre 1992 Malawi Polytechnic Riots and the Mayhem that followed. The events that led to the riots. In March 1992, the Catholics Bishops read a Pastoral letter which criticised Dr Banda’s brutal leadership. At Blantyre Mission Rev Mann and Rasmussen echoed what the Bishops’ Pastoral letter said. On 6th April 1992, Chakufwa Chihana returned to confront Dr Banda and his dictatorial government. Chihana was immediately arrested at Kamuzu International Airport and locked in prison till Oct-November that year. He spent most of his time at Chichiri Prison. Those who actually  ignited the 1992 famous riots  were the labourers at David Whitehead who in the same month that Chihana was arrested staged a strike against working conditions.  At that time David Whitehead was one of the biggest employers with a 24hr shift running every day.  The Whitehead labourers tired of their grievances being ignored took it to the streets. They walked from David Whitehead down to HHI jun...

The Winds of Change: The Road to Freedom.  The coming of Multiparty in Malawi Late 1991, Gogo Florence Tsamwa summons General Khanga of the Malawi Army to arrange a private meeting with Dr Banda at Sanjika. Gogo Florence Tsamwa with General Khanga briefs Dr Banda that due to the sensitivity of the meeting ... they would not allow the meeting to start in presence of the Minister of State, John Tembo [who was always hovering around the ailing Dr Banda.] Dr Banda orders, he be left alone with Gogo Tsamwa (OLM)and General Khanga [The Presidential Advisors] at Sanjika Palace. In a no holds barred, Tsamwa undresses the MCP leaders and evils that the Ngwazi's people were suffering with the party cards, the effects of the unfortunate northern teacher transfers, corrupt leaders, hunger in Malawi.  Kamuzu for the first time is informed that party officials are selling party cards  to  pregnant women for the unborn babies. Pregnant women were  being turned back at antenata...

Of the 18 May 1983 Cabinet Ministers Murders in Malawi. A phone  rang at Kwacha Conference Centre where the MCP delegates were waiting for the Secretary General [Matenje] to chair the meeting. Edward Bwanali, a senior cabinet minister answered it. A confused and perplexed voice on the line asked, "Is it really Edward Bwanali talking to me. Are you still alive and ok? How did you manage to get  there? Anyway I wanted just to confirm if the delegates were still waiting there.... [at Kwacha Conference]. The confused  voice talking to Edward Bwanali was that of John Tembo.  He was surprised as Bwanali was on the list to be murdered together with the 4 Others on that day. And he was shocked to hear his voice at Kwacha when he was supposed to be with the 4 others. Tembo knew after the closing of the parliament that the MCP meeting at Kwacha Conference would not take place as the chair of that meeting Dick Matenje would be in the hands of the Special Branch. Tembo didn't ev...

The  History of  Dr Banda’s Mbumba zitenje. Theo Campbell- The man who designed Dr Banda’s mbumba cloth. When Dr Banda banned miniskirts, women's trousers,,, etc in 1968, people thought the zitenje outfit which came about and encouraged by him was a west African influence where he went to live for 7 years before he returned to Nyasaland in 1959. In 1968 after the ban, foreign women in Nyasaland were also forced to adhere to Dr Banda’s declaration of what was regarded to be the accepted way of dressing for a woman.  A European lady Careth Bruessow in Blantyre organised  the 1968 Republic Day fashion parade, with European, African and Asian ladies as models. As Dr Banda had banned women from wearing miniskirts, trousers, jeans, Careth Bruessow  organised the fashion show to suit Dr Banda’s requirements. Somehow Dr Banda heard about the fashion show and it was announced, to everyone's surprise, that the proposed fashion show was to become a part of the official Rep...

The 1953 Thyolo Disturbances: Nyasaland Revolts Against The Federation. A Tribute to Chief Ngamwane And The Rioters Mayhem kicked off in Nyasaland when Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland was declared on 1st August 1953. Africans started riots protesting the federation.  Mid August 1953, in Cholo  (Thyolo) one night, a small group of Europeans apprehended 2 natives who had stolen a large quantity of oranges from Tennet's Estate. The Europeans planned to take the 2  thieves to DCs Office at Thyolo Boma.. But before they were able to do so, a number of armed locals  responded from the cry of the 2 thieves. The frightened Europeans planters released the 2 thieves and fled, some on foot and some by car. Reports on the confusion and melee that followed was that,  the natives believed the 2 bodies of the natives caught were stuffed in the oranges bags. By morning the next day, rumour had gone around and a thousand natives attacked nearby European residenc...

Nobody Remembers Mikeka Mkandawire and Comrade Solomon Hartwell.🔥 After the death of Levi Mumba, the leader of NAC... and the treasurer general, Issa Mcdonald Lawrence  in 1945, the country was robbed of the great two leaders that Dr Banda feared and admired.  The great Mumba and the revolutionary Issa Macdonald were nationalists. Those who succeded them were tribalists and Dr Banda saw an opportunity to infiltrate these opportunistic leaders by bribing them with money. Banda even pushed a move for NAC to employ a permanent secretary general to be on his payroll. Nepotism grew in NAC in the late 40s when Charles Matinga took over leadership and prevented Charles Chinula who was to accompany him to United Kingdom and instead picked Mponda his kinsmen. Chinula had to use his own money to South Africa where he was to connect to Britain yet his ticket was already bought from UK..only that Matinga handed it to Mponda... Matinga sneaked and dumped a stranded Chinula in South Africa...