Chilima wax lyrical of Kamuzu, canonising ‘Ngwazi’ as holy patron saint of Malawi development

State Vice President Saulos Chilima who is challenging his boss President Peter Mutharika in the next year’s presidential race has paid tribute to Malawi’s first Head of State, the late Ngwazi Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda whom he touted for visionary leadership, saying his work shall forever remain the foundation upon which the development and prosperity of this great nation is built.

Chilima, addressing a political rally by his United Transformation Movement (UTM) at Chankhanga School ground in Kasungu Municipality, Kamuzu’s home district, said the Ngwazi was spearheading infrastructure development after the country attained independence from Britain in 1964.

He praised the late Kamuzu Banda, saying much as he had his shortfalls but the late Kamuzu was a visionary and development conscious leader who had put up durable infrastructure such as roads, railway between Blantyre and Lilongwe and buildings.

“Kamuzu Banda had a great vision for the country. No one can oppose that he was a visionary leader… He constructed durable roads in the country,” said Chilima.

Chilima also paid tribute to the late Banda for the important role he played in raising the country’s education standards

University of Malawi’s College of Medicine, the Polytechnic, Chancellor College, Bunda College of Agriculture, Kamuzu College of Nursing, Natural Resources College, the Staff Development Institute (formerly Mpemba Staff Training College) and the Kamuzu Academy as some of the establishments by the late Dr Kamuzu Banda.

Chilima disclosed that said UTM government will upgrade Kasungu Teacher Training College into a university which will be known as Kamuzu University in honour of the late Banda to train teachers and upgrade Kasungu Municipality into a city council.

“Kamuzu laid a practical and solid foundation for the transformation of this country. Unfortunately, instead of taking advantage of the foundation to develop this country, his successors have only managed to ransack what Kamuzu had put in place,” he said.

The Vice President said Kamuzu Banda is the fulcrum around which the country will always hold.

Kamuzu Banda ruled Malawi for 31 years before losing power in 1994 to Bakili Muluzi following winds of change blowing at the time in this part of Africa.

He died in 1997 and hailed from Chiwengo village in the tobacco growing district of Kasungu.

Chilima also paid tribute to late President Bingu wa Mutharika for trying to implement development projects in line with Kamuzu’s vision.

However, commentators say Kamuzu is not a hero, but a tinpot dictator, who for 31 years, terrorised his own people to serve his overgrown ego and those close to him.