Aford to observe ‘Chihana Day’ quietly
Alliance for Democracy (Aford) has said this year it will observe April 6 dubbed ‘Chihana Day’ quietly in honour of Malawi’s hero of multiparty democracy Chakufwa Tom Chihana.
Aford calls April 6 ‘Chihana Day’ in remembrance of April 6 1992 when Chihana walked into the den of lions when he landed at Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) and openly did the unthinkable. He challenged the entrenched Kamuzu Banda’s 31-year-old autocratic rule under the Malawi Congress Party (MCP).
Effectively, he put into motion, with others, a movement that saw the feared MCP regime crumble; hence entered into the annals of history as one of the founding fathers of Malawi’s multipartyism.
Chihana died in June 2006.
Aford said this year the day falls on Easter Monday and they would observe it quietly.
“There will be no special commemorations but it will be observed,” said Chihana’s son Enock Chihana, who is Alliance for Democracy (Aford) president and member of Parliament (MP) for Rumphi Central Constituency.
Meanwhile, Chihana’s tiny grave in the city of Mzuzu remains a desolate, abandoned site despite earlier government promises to erect a mausoleum befitting the fallen trade union, human rights activist and served as the country’s second vice-president.
The administration of former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika pledged to construct a mausoleum. And after Bingu’s death, his successor, Joyce Banda also said the structure would be built.
But now the grave has a faded Chihana portrait hanging under a falling roof, marked with untrimmed flowers, overgrown grass, and heavy dust settling on the unguarded grave, conjuring an eerie image, especially at night.
The grave stands in mockery of the state-of-the-art national mausoleum befitting a former Second Vice-President.
Minister of Information, Kondwani Nankhumwa said government has since submitted the drawings and the designs of the mausoleum on how it should look like to the Department of Economic planning and Development “to evaluate everything”.
Former president Bakili Muluzi in 2014 donated K1 million (about $2 000) towards the upgrading of the grave site of Chihana.
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So where did the MK 1,000,000.00 go? You mean the southerners donated money for the graveyard and you squandered the money? At the same time you despise the southerners. Pa mtumbo panu ndithu.
Whatever you cry for stl the Chewa people made Malawi. Malawi belong to the Chewa people
Let’s respsct what he did to we Malawians
Kodi agalu ena inu munabadwa bwanji?anamanga chiliza cha kamuzu ndi ndani?anabwezera mayina a kamuzu malo osiyana siyana anali ndani?nchifukwa chani mumadana ndi Alomwe?panyapanu pa ambuyanu mufune musafune mlomweyo ndi amene akulamula unless mumuloze even mutatero atumbuka simuzalamula dziko in million yearz to come!
Chihana was a Malawian hero and he deserves better than this kind of treatment, anyway time will come when people will realize that a hero is a hero no matter where he comes from!!
hero, hero wachani? What is there to show that he was a hero????
Rest in Peace Hero Simbiyamoto Chakufwa Chihana.Many have the freedom to make noise these days because of your courage and sacrifice for Malawians to be free people.
Ngati timalephera tokha kukamanga nyumba kwathu tiri moyo busy kugula ma plot kwa eni how can we remember our hero. Let’s get Organize as northerners and do something to our fallen hero.
ecvery ane Malawian knows that the true heroes of multipartyism in Malawi anali ma Catholic Bishops motsogozedwa ndi Late arch Episcope James Chiona. Catholics in the country have never made noise about him or claiming holidays. Chakufwa was strong yes but he came here ridding on the back of the Cathilics’ pastoral letter.
The stadium in Lilongwe should be named after him. “CHIHANA FREEDOM INTERNATIONAL STADIUM” I don’t want to hear something like Bingu br…brrrrrr.Bingu was the architect of cashgate, dictator., nepotistic and selfish.