The History of Dr Banda’s Mbumba zitenje.Theo Campbell- The man who designed Dr Banda’s mbumba cloth.

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 Republic Day celebrations in 1968.

Careth Bruessow  went to ask Theo Campbell how they could design the programme and set the stage for the fashion show. Theo Campbell was an established agriculturalist who introduced a lot of plant species in Nyasaland at that time.

Dr Banda, Miss Kadzamira and the complete presidential entourage was to attend the show. Miss Kadzamira was a 30-year old glamorous young lady when the fashion show was being held.

One of the organisers of the show was an English-Indian lady who was wife of Professor Harris of the University of Malawi who brought her Indian touch to the long outfits which were worn that day by the models.

The outfits which were worn that day impressed Dr Banda. Dr Banda ended up commissioning a series of politicised outfits from that fashion show to be worn by his  Womens League of  Malawi. 

Dr Banda chose Theo Campbell to design the Chitenje outfit like those shown at the fashion show....to be worn by his mbumba.

Theo Campbell came up with several designs. One of the designs  featured the black cockerel, the symbol of Dr Banda 's Malawi Congress Party, with an image of  Dr Banda in a circle.

Theo Campbell’s first design depicted Dr Banda's head combined with colour images of the various development projects  of Dr Banda: Tedzani Hydro-electric Scheme, Viphya Pulpwood Scheme,  New Capital City (Lilongwe),  Lower Shire Agricultural Development Project,  Chilumba Jetty,  Nacala Railway, University of Malawi,  Kasungu Flue-cured Tobacco Scheme, Lakeshore Road and the Central Region Lakeshore Project.

Theo Campbell arranged these projects on the cloth designs as  'The Fruits of Independence'. He  depicted them as actual fruits emanating from a plant using his agricultural background.

Theo Campbell’s designs were embraced and printed on every cloth in Nyasaland and worn by Dr Banda’s mbumba to every political function in Nyasaland. 

What was interesting was that nobody credited Theo Campbell for his designs which changed the women’s outfits in Nyasaland forever.

Theo Campbell wrote, “Those were heady days indeed for me, seeing my designs being worn all over Malawi. Notwithstanding, I received neither an acknowledgement, any credit nor compensation for my considerable efforts. I was, after all, just a V.S.O.”

 

One day, Theo Campbell was summoned to the MCP headquarters where Gwanda Chakuamba shouted at him. 

Gwanda was angry and  felt that the cover of a government publication Theo Campbell had designed, depicting Dr Banda had a problem.

“By putting the Ngwazi’s head within concentric circles of the colours of the Malawi flag,,, you  are putting the President's head on a target and setting him up for an assassination attempt.'’ Gwanda Chakuamba shouted on top of his voice.

Interestingly Dr Banda had no problem with the designs, and he approved them... sent them overseas to the Dutch Java Print Company where the designs were engraved onto metal rollers. These  were then shipped back to the David Whitehead Textile Company in Blantyre, where the designs were printed on cotton sheeting in full colour, which was then made up into zitenje.

And that's why we had the advert... "Java print,, nsalu yowombedwa ndi akatswiri ku ulaya."

The only design which was withdrawn was the one with Dr Banda’s multiple heads planted on the women’s behind... after he allegedly became alarmed and disturbed  perceiving to see his face jiggling around provocatively on the gyrating hindquarters of his faithful mbumba.

In the pic,, Mai Tsamwa and Dr Banda happily covering himself in the cloth designed by Theo Campbell which Gwanda was initially angry with.

Gwanda Chakuamba in the  black suit.. looking from far behind.