Chakwera, Tembo lead tributes at Kamuzu memorial: Family makes benefit claim
Leader of opposition and Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Dr Lazarous Chakwera and former party president John Tembo on Wednesday December 3 led tribute to founding president Ngwazi Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda at a memorial ceremony on his mausoleum in the capital Lilongwe.
Chakwera paid an emotional tribute to “a visionary and legendary leader.”
The self-styled “president-for-life” ruled the country with an iron fist for three decades, but was finally beaten at the ballot box in 1994 by Bakili Muluzi of United Democratic Front (UDF) in the country’s first multi-party democratic elections.
Kamuzu, of the generation of African nationalist leaders that came to power at independence, died on November 25, 1997 at Garden City Clinic in South Africa at the age of 101. He was laid to rest on 3 December, 1997.
Chakwera said Kamuzu was a “great statesman” and had welfare of the citizens at heart and not the wrongful self-enrichment that the leaders of today are exhibiting.
“He will always be remembered for his amazing leadership and national building,” he said.
Speaking earlier former MCP president John Tembo said Kamuzu served his country “with a lot of dedication and devotion.”
Tembo also advised MCP to remain united and continue to strengthen.
One observer told Nyasa Times at the ceremony that although a dictator, in the Kamuzu years crimes such as murder and theft were unheard of and the people were never starved.
“Kamuzu did the best for Malawi and always had Malawi’s interests at heart. Just look what democracy has done to Malawi. Murders and theft are common and cashgate from Muluzi days K1.7bn grows in Bingu wa Mutharika to K92 billion and K30 billon in Joyce Banda two years rule and now continue in different form in Peter Mutharika reign through NAC-gate and Macra,” said Pius Nkhoma.
He continued: “The currency has devalued from once being 2 kwacha to the pound to over 520 kwacha today. The democracy in Malawi has taken Malawi back 200 years and it has to take a lot of time to make up the standards set by the Ngwazi. Kamuzu Banda without doubt did the best for Malawi and now you have politicians stealing public funds and abusing government funds. “
Some of the renowned people who attended the memorial ceremony included former speaker of National Assembly Louis Chimango, former Finance Minister Ken Kandodo, and MCP Vice President who is also the current Speaker of national Assembly, Richard Msowoya and former hostess Cecilia Tamanda Kadzamira.
Meanwhile, Kamuzu’s family had made a fresh appeal to the government for the founding president’s retirement package; two years after an earlier communication did not yield a response.
Family lawyer Ralph Mhone said they are yet to get a response from the government after sending a notice to the Office of the Attorney General.
Reads the notice of claim: “We, therefore, claim for gratuity, monthly pension, benefits and facilities as provided under Section 4 (1) (c) of the Presidents (Salaries and Benefits) Act [and Part 111 of the Schedule of the Act] Cap 2:02 of the Laws of Malawi. Your due attention to this matter will be highly appreciated.”
He said the notice of claim said Kamuzu, who left office in 1994 after having ruled the country from 1964, was never paid any benefits for his service to the nation or recognition as a retired head of state.–(Additional reporting by Wanga Gwede, Nyasa Times)
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Amene anganyoze kamuzu akufunika kuchipatala,
A. Chakwera mudzaferamo osalamulira dziko lino. Mwathaw Namalenga
MCP, the notorious party of Nyakula, please stop lionizing Kamuzu. He does not deserve any admiration in the area of governance at all. Maybe in the area of wealth creation, via open theft of public money and even personal property thru unlawful expropriation. Everything he did financially was highly illegal; and there was nobody to even question that, for obvious reasons. On the political front, he was dictator to the core. Hard core, even by standards of those days. His proto-dictatorship is nothing to be proud of; we should really be ashamed of it. Malawians in overseas universities during his… Read more »
Eni dziko ndife aMCP enanu bachezani no mistakes during our rule osapupuluma chakwera boma ndi lathu
Za zii. Kamuzu was a vision less, sadistic, tribalistic, power hungry psychopath. To say he had the welfare of Malawians at heart is a Blunt lie, he is also the biggest thief Out of all the presidents, bigger than Mai cashgate. When Kamuzu died officially all the presidential residents were listed as his property, a lot of government buildings and assets were listed as his personal property, let’s not forget press corporation, Blantyre print etc. Let’s not forget the government of the time (UDF) took Kamuzu to court to claim back what rightfully belonged Malawians. Kamuzu used to lead a… Read more »
chipanichi sichidzalamulira pa Malawi pano you fit well in the opposition.
Boma Boma! Chakwera you are the man of the match. Even JB was afraid of you thats why he sent Lutepo to buy delegates used by Tembo. But they failed. Let me tell you guyz. THE MALAWI PRESIDENCY IS NOW GOING UNDER GOD’S TRANSFORMATION ANYONE WHO WILL GO IN THAT OFFICE BY DECEIT/RIGGING WILL NEVER HAVE PEACE UNTIL HE/SHE DIES. THE BEST TO DO IS TO STEP DOWN PAVE WAY FOR A LEGITIMATE TRUE WINNER OF THE ELECTIONS. OTHERWISE IT WILL BE ONE EMBARRASSMENT AFTER ANOTHER UNTIL MALAWIANS WILL TAKE THEIR LAW IN THEIR OWN HANDS “KUTI IZI NDIYE ZATIKWANA”… Read more »
Boma lowina 2019 ilo,poti enanu simufikako kumeneko ndiye sikudzakhala kubela,mutha God will purnish you b4 2019 tikunva
Ndikakumbukila ma youth, mtima umandiwawa ndipo chipani ichi ine ayi. KOma ndinamubwenzera wa youth wina wake anandimenya ndilibe khadi koma 1993 ndinabwenza ndipo ndinagulula mano awiri. kkkk
Mr Mhone should be the first to know that pension benefits are only paid to the living, so he should advise his clients to expect nothing. Also unless there was a will bequething Kamuzu’s assets to the relatives, they should expect nothing, moreover when he was dying they were all above 21 years old and therefore not dependents.