Court orders Wandale to undergo mental examination: Quest to create 2 districts as separate from Malawi

1. wapolisi akuvina?

2. This is obviously an interesting development on this matter. However, we as Malawians must not fail to tackle land issues in Mulanje and Thyolo in a pragmatic manner. Being someone who once worked in the then Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, I am aware that the land situation in Thyolo and Mulanje is a time bomb waiting to explode in our face very soon.

   In my view, dismissing Wandale as a mere “mental patient” is what Chewas call “kuzimitsa moto ndi gaga.” By the way, historically, Malawi has one whole tribe (Llomwes) that do not own land in this area and is just squatting on the fringes of freehold land allocated to tea growers and missionaries of the Blantyre Mission even before they, the Llomwes, crossed the Malawi boarder from Mozambique between 1895 and 1910. Actually, I have a Nyasaland Times (modern day Daily Times) article that narrates how Llomwe people entered Malawi from Mozambique!). This matter may look simple now that Peter Mutharika, himself a Llomwe, is in charge of government. But the matter may become nasty if, for example, the center of”power shifts to a different “belt” and the people of Mulanje and Thyolo feel further sidelined from the “national cake” as things usually become in African politics .

   You see, when the new land bill was being framed, there was a wide expectation in this area, just like in all other areas facing land problems in Malawi, that the new law will favor locals and, if anything, the white settlers will start paying land rentals to government and a special fund or trust would be established to support those who literally have no means of survival knowing that land is the primary means for economic survival for the majority of Malawians. But, alas! this seems not to be any close to becoming a reality! I now gather that the few estates that were bought by Kamuzu Banda’s MCP government and distributed among the landless people in the 1970s-1980s have now been privately acquired by a few powerful Malawians at the expense of the majority! This, to say the list, is creating a big problem that will soon or later turn into a political or ethnic fiasco.

   What am I saying here?! Simple. While Wandale may be dismissed as a mere “wamisala” by our Honorable judges and politicians, he, certainly, is not talking about “zamisala” because to those who have no land Wandale is a “savior” so to speak. Remember that Chewas say: “wansala adaona nkhondo.” The moral in this saying is that we sometimes need to separate the “message” from the messenger. The people that follow Wandale may look few now but you never know how many other “silent disciples and followers” Wandale has in the bedrooms of Thyolo and Mulanje and other parts of the country. As a Bunda graduate who holds postgraduate qualifications (Masters Degree in Agricultural something?), and has been in the agriculture sector for some time, he certainly appreciates the tricky situation that people in these two districts find themselves in and he simply could be scratching where it is itching.

   My advice is that government and opposition politicians alike should swallow the bullet and begin to take this as a national issue. They need to engage the tea planters to find ways of deflating this time bomb sooner than later. My other piece of advice to Malawi politicians is to avoid playing politics on tribal lines particularly in this hot spot. Thyolo and Mulanje are predominantly Mang’anja districts with a few Yao pockets (e.g. Nkanda, Chikumbu and Juma). Generally, these two tribes have some measure of land while I hardly know of any Llomwe chief who, historically, owns land in the area. Llomwes have generally squattered on tea estates where, historically, their rights have not been respected by successive governments and some tea planters. Actually, it is this matter that angered John Chilembwe, who, despite being a Mang’anja and Yao himself, felt that the protectorate government was not doing enough to protect the predominantly Llomwe people from abuse through “thangata” – an evil that was common on tea estates. Between 1910 and 1915 Chilembwe led an insurrection against the colonial government and the rest, as they say, is history.

   As I am speaking there is a group of people whose latent voice in not being held. They are mute. The Yao and the Mang’anja chiefs (Nazombe, Mabuka, Nchilamwela, Chimaliro, Nsabwe, Chikumbu, Juma, Nkanda just to mention a few) who, historically, own land in this area (including freehold land currently occupied by tea growers) are not being given the voice that the Llomwe chiefs (e.g. Ngolongoliwa) are enjoying since the Mutharika’s took over power. I was actually amused when Ngolongoliwa was given the podium to speak about the “bloodsucking” fiasco at almost each and every rally addressed by APM in the Phalombe, Mulanje and Thyolo. Where are the Mang’anja chiefs? Where is Lundu, the paramount chief of the Mang’anja people? Where is Kawinga, the paramount chief of the Yao people? Is what Ngolongoliwa saying agreeable to both Lundu and Kawinga who also have chiefs in this area? I kept on asking myself.

   In my scheme of things, this latent voice may come to the surface in future (when the DPP is out of power) and complicate land these issues even further. How this will play out I cannot tell. Only posterity will tell. But, certainly, the Wandale matter needs to give our politicians and all well meaning Malawi citizens, some food for thought. In my scheme of things we need to avoid two things: a) dismissing Wandale as a mere “mad” person and b) isolating one tribe(Llomwes) from the Yaos and Mang’anja who, historically, own land in this so-called “Llomwe belt” and are, numerically, in majority in the area. Instead, we must do three things: a) assure the landless that government is aware of their problem and some action will be taken to help them b) engage tea growers in a dialogue that should lead to land redistribution or setting up of a trust or fund to support the landless to buy land in other parts of Malawi like the World Bank-funded Kudzigulira Malo project was doing c) ensure that the Land Act adequately takes care of people’s concerns regarding tea planters in the area d) politicians should stop favoring one tribe over the two others also present in this area.

   I, personally, don’t agree with Wandale’s approach. However, I disagree with those who think they can just wish him away. Remember, “wansala adaona nkhondo.” His followers too cannot be wished away. They are Malawians who need everyone’s support. Let’s take a wholistic and pragmatic approach. People need land for their economic survival. This is their birth right. Do we all believe in this?

   Kent Y.G. Mphepo – Blantyre (0888435629)

   1. Well said, thank you.

   2. Sober analysis. Much much wiser than what our leaders take things to be. Long live Wandale

   3. Well said thank you.

   4. There is a valid reason why we Lomwes do not have adequate land. First, Mulanje and Thyolo initial occupants were the Anyanja people, who welcomed the European settlers. Lomwe came to Nyasaland after 1920 following severe drought in Portuguese East Africa where upon arrival most willingly became Samunda workers on tea fields. So

   5. well done, let this be an article on this page, historically i was blank and i hope others need the same food of thought

   6. If we could be taking this matter this way, we would really understand why Wandale has the guts to make his proposal. Its just he has opted to amass power over those he is supporting (personal interest). However “utsi ndawuwonawu I have concluded that palidi moto penapake”. Well said Kent, thanks for enlightening us.

   7. Woow…honestly. …i was not following. .thanks to this article

3. Is this a precedence we are setting? Is this the way we are going to handle cases of this nature? #silent_observer

   1. akanakhala mtumbuka bwenzi mukuti atumbuka kuvuta.The best thing to do when a certain sector of people
      akupondeleza anzao is to seperate ways.we can’t keep on looking while we suffer.This guy is right so are northerners calling for the same

      1. this is out of order. paliponse mtumbuka this, mtumbuka that… why cant you analyse issues soberly just like our freind above has done? mxii

      2. Actually, countrymen, the greatest fear that Mutharika and his DPP should have as we approach 2019 election is the possibility of two groups of people in Chiradzulo, Thyolo, Mulanje and the Lower Shire teaming up with an opposition party such as MCP, or AFORD or PP namaly: a) Wandale’s People Liberation Organization (disgruntled over land and the failure by the DPP government to use the New Land Law to improve the situation) and b) Yao chiefs (Nkanda, Chikumbu, Juma, etc) and Nyanja/Mang’anja chiefs (such as Mkumba, Mabuka, Nazombe, Nsabwe, etc ) who are disgruntled over the fast-tracked elevation of Paramount Chief Ngolongoliwa – who, historically, is a junior and landless chief.

         This is why I am saying that playing politics on tribal matters is dangerous to our politicians. And the earlier they accepted this the better. They need to remember that the colonial government, Kamuzu’s MCP and Muluzi’s UDF tried this and it later backfired on them. Do people remember what happened to the Makanjira’s chieftaincy in the colonial era (1930s)? Do people remember what happened to Chindi Jere chieftaincy in Mzimba during the MCP era? Do people remember what happened to Mwase chieftaincy in Kasungu in the 1970s?….. I can go on and on! Chiefs have a tendency of bouncing back to throw the ruling elite in the doldrums!!! They always have the last laugh!

         The point is: DPP needs to avoid re-writing the country’s history, chieftaincy system, tribal history and boundaries because they were already set and they will play with them at their own peril. Chieftaincy and land ownership runs in the “blood tree” and paramountcy is traditionally attached to the “land size”. Any “physical” or “political” manipulation will not work in the long term. The truth of the matter is that all land in this region (so-called Llomwebelt) belongs to Paramount Chiefs Kawinga and his junior chiefs (for the Yaos) and Lundu and his junior chiefs (for the Mang’anjas/Nyanjas). These are chiefs that DPP must work with if they want to perpetuate power in this area. Ngolongoliwa will not withstand the political “tsunami” when it finally comes.

         If I were a DPP politician I would advise President Mutharika to slow down on the Llomwe Elevation Agenda (LEA) but FOCUS on finding a lasting solution to the land question in Mulanje, Thyolo AND OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY after reading this entry. The President and the courts need to focus on “listening” to what Wandale is saying and not FOCUS on his “mental state” because this too is a chase after the wind. Wandale watchela bomba lilikulu zedi. “Waponda mwala” ready to throw it at someone. DPP watch out.

         DPP as a “ruling party” and President Mutharika, as “State President” , must focus on the bigger picture – “Nation Building” and not “tribal politics”. Tribal politics is nothing but “quick sand” or “slippery ground.” Malawians have always been “one people” and any person wanting to divide them will face serious consequences. Watch this space someone if you don’t believe in these my words! I rest my case.
         Kent Y.G. Mphepo – Blantyre

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