Chakwera says MCP will not be intimidated: Pays homage to Malawi founding president Kamuzu
Main opposition, Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president Lazarus Chakwera on Saturday challenged that the party will not be intimidated, saying he will instead fight along with Malawians for freedoms.
He was speaking at Chilanga CCAP church in Kasungu where former head of state Kamuzu Banda family organized remembrance celebrations for the first head of state of Malawi.
“We refuse to be intimidated by our enemies. We will fight along with Malawians until the country is liberated,” said Chakwera indirectly referring to his traditional political arch rival President Peter Mutharika and his ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP).
Chakwera came a closer second to President Mutharika during the 2014 presidential election so too his party came a closer second to the DPP in the parliamentary elections which pushed former president Joyce Banda a distant third in the presidential race.
The leader of opposition said the MCP will remain strong and will not be frustrated by the party in power, the DPP.
He said it was pity that Mutharika failed to attend the remembrance day of Kamuzu yet the Ngwazi was beyond party politics as he was the first head of state of Malawi as well as father and of the nation.
“I am honoured to be guest of honour at this important function. But I am a party president of the Malawi Congress Party. The head of state should have been here. Kamuzu looms bigger than the MCP. This was supposed to be a national event,” said Chakwera.
He described Kamuzu as extraordinary, saying he was empowering people economically through various economic and financial activities to make them self reliant, saying it was in contrast to present day times when leaders are stealing money from public coffers to enrich themselves and busy enjoying Mapwevupwevu [buffets] while citizens sleep in empty stomachs.
“This is what made Malawi’s economy to grow steadily every year. Kamuzu was an action man, he was a disciplinarian, he reached discipline, he was the man of excellence, a man of standards,” Chakwera said at the function which turned out to be a political forum as both the CCAP Nkhoma Synod clergy and all those who spoke turned their tirade against the DPP led government.
Chakwera bemoaned that Malawi is now beset by numerous problems including tribalism and regionalism.
He reiterated that Malawians should forgive the party if it wronged Malawians during its 31 year old in power.
Among others who attended the function included Minister of Gender and Social Welfare, who is also advisor to the DPP Jean Kalirani, Kamuzu’s long time confidante and aide Mama Cecelia Kadzamira and former Speaker of Parliament Louis Chimango.
Two sided legacy
However, some people took up on social media to blame the government for reinstating the day, saying Kamuzu was a dictator who butchered his own people in order to silence his critics.
They said Kamuzu killed his own cabinet minister Aaron Gadama, Dick Matenje, Twaibu Sangala and MP David Chiwanga for holding dissenting views – the High Court acquitted him on the allegations.
The people noted among the victims of Kamuzu regime deaths included Attati Mpakati, Masauko Chipembere, while Kanyama Chiume and thousands others fled the country during Kamuzu regime when he ruled the country with an iron fist.
However, Kamuzu’s great nephew Ken Kandodo thanked the government for reinstating the day, saying his great uncle did a lot of things for Malawi from liberating the country from the federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland to massive development spread across the country.
He also thanked the government for reinstating his name on public infrastructures like Kamuzu Stadium, Kamuzu International Airport, Kamuzu Central Hospital and renaming Kamuzu Palace.
The Chendawaka family took the centre stage in the organization of the Kamuzu Day events whilst the Kazombo family, where his father came from, took a conspicuous back seat, openly a sign that the two families are still in conflict, 19 years after the death of the dictator who was removed from power at the ballot box in 1994 by former president Bakili Muluzi and his United Democratic Front (UDF).
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Mr Kazombo Mwale, was Dr Kamuzu Banda’s nephew. Kamuzu’s father was a Mr Mphonongo.
Dobo mad creature..MAY THE SOUL Of KAMUZU REST IN HELL AND MAY GOD CURSE THE CURRENT LEADER AND HIS LACKEYS.
Don mad creature.MAY THE SOUL Of KAMUZU REST IN HELL AND MAY GOD CURSE THE CURRENT LEADER AND HIS LACKEYS.
dont say things was oky during kamuzu era.things was very bad during that time he and tembo were the only rich pple in malawi .we were not allowed to even own at and not mentioning acar of ur choice .enanu mukungoyakhulapo app poti mwabadwa dzulo u dont kamuzu mumangomva anthu.he was a gready person .selfish.ngakhale banja lake silinapindule kanthu iye ali moyo.chuma abale ake achipeza kamuzu atamwalila.in terms of development yes in away but just go outside malawi and see what they mean by development.mukuti development itiyo.were u expecting kuti iye asamange chipatala.we are way behind most african countries cos… Read more »
Sober up people. Politicians are all killers. They kill directly or indirectly. Directly e.g. Gadama, Njauju, Chasowa etc and indirectly e.g. Cashgate. HKB is famous for the atrocities because he was a disciplinarian. But what happened during his time is no different from what happened when Chasowa, Gen Chigawa, Matafale, Njauju, Stambuli, OMG, the list is endless, were killed. There is no Malawian president who is clean in as far as mysterious deaths are concerned right from HKB to APM. We need to move forward as a nation and stop pointing fingers because it will not take us anywhere. All… Read more »
Kodi inu a dpp business mwayamba yokupha ma alubhino ikanakhala nthawi ya kongelesi sibwenzi mukuti ndi Kamuzu akupha? Kuyambila nthawi ya Bingu mwapha anthu angati? Mpaka pano mukuphabe, chipani cha nkhanza cha dpp. Zinthu maka zakudya zikungokwera mtengo koma boma osachitapo kanthu. Amalawi tikukhala ngati akapolo mu dziko lathu lomwe, osangalala nkukhala ma foreigner. Kodi mpaka pano simudziwa kuti Kamuzu ankachita subsidy chilichonse maka chakudya????
Point of collection, saying Kamuzu Banda as the Malawi President then was killing his own people is wrong,misguided,tribalistic ,regionalistic ,childish and political with hatred background.All those people saying this don’t know what they are talking about. They are just taking it from blues of polical statements by their preferable leaders without evidence. Talk of developments which we see with our naked eyes, not things we hear without evidence,it can take 100 year for our present Malawi to achieve the same developments by Kamuzu because of factors well known in our present Malawi. For some of us who have the opportunity… Read more »
If I were Chakwera, I would have posed to compare Kamuzu and APM. By all standards, APM is an angel to the demon Hastings Kamuzu Banda. I prudent and principled leader would desist to capitalize on the DEmon that killed our people.
mcp inalamulila kunatha………..kwatsalaku nkumangolongolola mpaka ma term kunka namalizika…….chipani chamagazi chimenecho sichizalamulira malawi..Chakwera chikhala uli ndinzeru ukanapanga zina mmalo mongoonda ndimaganizo ozalamulirapo dzikoli……uzingothokoza kut unakhala wachiwiri….2019….suzakhalanso leader of opposition koma khasala uzikalalata ku council……..ukuwona ngat kusiya ntchito yamulungu nkulowa ndale mulungu akusangalala naweee?
Mwawabale wanyane lekani kutchuka pavinthu vyauchindele panji vyawaka nduvyo izo mukupeleka manyani kuti wakuwelenga mbanthu wanandi Kamuzu wakawa wachalo chose chamalawi ipo zuwa ilo likenera kudangililika na mlongozgi wachalo nanga wangaleka kuwa mlendo wapadela kweni walikuvwalikika ulongozgi wachalo sono pala peter wakiza cha manyani kuti wayuyula ise tikamuvotela kweniso wasinjuzga ise chifukwa watiphalila kuti ni hiliday tikimbuke mteweti chalo withu pamasinda wakukhala waka munyumba ya ufumu ahahahah apo vili makola cha tiyeni tileke ndyale za ubulutu tiwe nga wanthu awo wajulika sono chonde mwalongozgi withu .