A 66-Year Wait for Justice: Thank You, Mr. President, for Consoling the Martyrs’ Families
For 66 long years, the families of the martyrs, those who were gunned down in cold blood by British forces in the name of colonial order, have lived in the shadows of a history that never acknowledged their pain. Presidents came and went, speeches were made, promises were spoken, but nothing was done—until now.
Under the leadership of President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, what seemed like a distant dream has finally become a reality. This, Mr. President, is a monumental moment not just for the families of the martyrs, but for every Malawian who believes in justice, dignity, and a government that truly remembers its past.
For decades, the families of those who perished during the 1940s massacre in the South and the resistance across Malawi have held on to bittersweet memories. And despite failed attempts from previous leaders like Kamuzu Banda, Bakili Muluzi, and even Bingu wa Mutharika, whose promises of recognition and compensation never saw the light of day, you, Mr. President, kept your word.
Your gesture of consoling the families of those murdered for daring to resist colonial oppression is more than just financial aid—it is humanity acknowledging its wrongs. The families from Blantyre, Thyolo, Lilongwe, Likoma, Karonga, and Nkhata Bay who lost their loved ones to cold-blooded shootings will finally have their grief seen, their loss acknowledged, and their suffering recognized.
For 66 years, the world stood silent, but your administration has provided a moment of closure, however small. K15 million may never be enough to erase the pain and loss the families have endured, but it is a step—an overdue step—in the right direction. It’s a symbolic act that says: “We see you, we hear you, and we remember your sacrifice.”
To Mr. Minister of Justice, we thank you for taking the families’ appeal seriously. And to Counsel Viva Nyimba, who has tirelessly fought to bring justice to the forgotten, thank you for your unwavering dedication. Now, it’s time to take the next step—return the remains. Even if it is just one bone, a single symbol of dignity, we ask that you return the martyrs to their land so they may finally rest in peace.
Mr. President, this is a moment of reckoning, and though the pain cannot be undone, your actions have given these families a long-awaited consolation. Thank you for not just promising, but delivering.
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