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.
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Kikiki Koma kuganiza kuliko m’mutu wa Chilima eti? What did this guy really learn at Chirunga, beside memorizing facts? Even an idiot could have done better than Kamuzu, in terms of developing this country. How difficult could it have been when there only 3 million Malawians in 1964, compared to 18 million today? And in a DICTATORSHIP – no opposing ideas whatsoever tolerated – to boot! Chilima must be very careful in lionizing Kamuzu, because there are many people who are offended, and take umbrage to that: for many obvious reasons, the main ones being the extrajudicial killings and general… Read more »
The people Kamuzu terrorised were obviously stupid. Look what they have done when they returned after 1993. Thieves corrupt to the bone and completely clueless. No wonder Kamuzu couldn’t tolerate them. Peter for instance would’ve been good meat for crocodiles not president.
@Kanchenga
Koma iwe ungalembe zimenezi ndithu eti?
You have no pity for those who were murdered by The Dictator and his followers?
Mr.Chilima,although Iam your ardent supporter,I do not support you on narration that the former brutal and tribalistically President Banda developed Malawi.Which Malawi is that taking into account that the North is still DEAD NORTH while the South and Central Malawi are a bit developed.If development for you means Sanjikas and spending Millions of State funds driving from South to North for crop inspections followed by prostitutes leaving their hasbands taking care of young children and many men go back with brutal gonorrhea just to give it to their wives back home.Is tha development Dr.Chilima? You have travelled many parts of… Read more »
A VP too much promises just to gain popularity,,,,,koma mukwanitsa?To upgrade kasungu t t c to kamuzu university pamenepa ndiye kuti mwapanga chitukuko? Nenani zoti mukhoza kuzamanga ngati mungadzakhale mtsogoleri wa dziko osamachita ngati bakili,,,,
Akuti mmimba ndi mchipala. Momwemo munatulika no nonsense Bingu and momwemo munatuluka tsinzinantole Pumbwa. Chimphamba chokuba K145 million.
Why didn’t you praise Kamuzu in Mzuzu or Chileka the previous day. This tribalistic and regionalistic politics is what we are tired of and you are just proving you will play with peoples tribal mentalities. Promising Kamuzu University while in Kasungu to entice people who believe Kamuzu was from there. At least Bingus plans for universities he said them at one time and not targetted to any base. It was a national plan.
SKC spends time at the podium reading his speeches, and getting off the notes to altercate against the current government with absolutely rude intonations. I wonder if this amounts to eloquence. Or is it impunity and rudeness to former colleagues.
Who cares. Would you rather have thieves not read from a script and plunder the country
For 4 good years he was in your so-called “thieves’ den”. Wining and dining with them replete with women dancing for him. And for four years your mouth was shut. After failing to unorthoxocally climb to the highest position in your so called den of thieves he has moved out and pointing fingers. Would a no nonsense person clap hands for such an act? Umfune.
You can not Honour Kamuzu by Renaming a TTC which his govt. built.Just look at his Standards College of Medicine,how long did it take to Build.Just Build a New University than simple solutions. We still remember Atcheya turning Mzuzu TTC into a University. Up to now no TTC has been built in Mzuzu as replacement. Don’t dishonor the Man of Standards please!
To be fair, even if it had been a dog in charge of the country for the first 30 years of independence, it would have had to put the basic foundations in place.
Actually the Ngwazi should have done much more in areas of mining for example.
@BigMan
Trut’ to dat.
Now, you are commenting truthfully, like a few years ago, in contrast to your recent ideas since you joined the new Bus Company, UTM.
@BigMan Exactly my point! How can one compare performance of a government in one party era with that of a government in multiparty system? Malawians are too lazy with thinking. Seriously, can a sane person compare a guava with a pineapple? If Malawians want to measure Kamuzu’s performance, then compare it with the performance of Jomo Kenyatta of Kenya or that of Julius Nyerere of Tanzania or that of Kenneth Kaunda of Zambia, for example. And for sure we all know that Kamuzu will look an inferior performer among these leaders. These governments did not have the CSOs, NGOs and… Read more »
That is praising the MCP government indirectly. Thanks very much SKC. You are part of the failures. Four years working with thieves and idiots.
l totally agree with Chilima l always argue with wazungu that Malawi was lovely until they brought multiparty which doesn’t work. only Kamuzu had Malawi at heart. All the presidents elected comes in power to enrich themselves not the interests of Malawians. l grew up during Kamuzu Banda’s time the country was disciplined. .Malawi never short of Maize, free education , free medication in the hospitals. and many more. l miss Kamuzu Banda, MHSRIP
And the crocodiles had their bellies full, which lovely Malawi are you talking about? Unless you are MCP.
@Beee
Nanu inu! “Malawi never short of Maize (sic), free education , free medication (sic) …” Mukuti chani?
Again, there were only 3 million Malawians in 1964 cf. 18 million today.
And, BTW, when the dictator said “discipline”, he meant “OBEDIENCE TO HIM” and no less; not the way most educated people understand “discipline” to mean.