Malawi govt fully supports Mahatma Ghandi statue: ‘Ziko wathu, ndalama wawo’
Malawi government has dismissed the campaign against the decision by the Indian government to erect a statue of Mahatma Ghandi in Blantyre, saying it was not spending a penny on its construction.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation spokesman Rejoice Chaponda Shumba said Malawi government accepted a request from Indian Government to construct the Mahatma Ghandi Square “in recognition of his contributions of the fight against colonialism and promotion of human rights and social development for the underprivileged.”
She said the bust will promote Ghandi’s values of simplicity, social uplifting and the fight against social evils.
However, Malawians are outraged by the proposed statue, calling Gandhi “an ardent racist” who had “nothing but contempt for the black African race.”
Malawian citizens Mpambira Kambewa, Mkotama Willie Katenga-Kaunda, and Wonderful Mkutche launched a change.org petition to garner support for their resistance to the statue.
The petition in part reads: “As black Africans-Malawians we will find it very offensive to appreciate the value of the statue when the man himself thought we were inferior. If you erect this statue it will make a mockery out of Malawi’s independence movement which fought to extricate ‘classism’ between black, brown and white races.”
One of the activists Mpambira Aubrey Kambewa described Ghandi as a racist who never fought for the freedom of black people in Africa.
“He is not supposed to be honoured,” said Kambewa.
But Shumba said the Ghandi bust in Blantyre will strengthen the good relations and benefits between Malawi and India.
India requires the statue as a condition for funding construction of the Mahatma Gandhi International Conference Centre, a $10 million (About K7.3 billion) infrastructure project which India is replicating in nine African countries.
The Gandhi centre will be constructed in Blantyre opposite Golden Peacock Five Star and International Convention Centre.
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Statue ya mmwenye ku Malawi, MCP akulu akulu ake amwenye, basi dzikoli atengadi ma foreigner, ifenso tikaike cha kamuzu Banda ku India,
Gandhi was a disgusting afrophobic like many of his kinsfork. Racist is not an accurate term because it implies they hate all other races, they don’t. Infact they are pinkphilic. Let them erect the statue – they will have to constantly provide armed security for it, otherwise it will be demolished.
Winston msowoya you are an empty tin and a loud mouth.you don’t know how to make an argument.Are you maybe talking through that other hole?
Can anyone prove Gandhi racism? I am just hearing he was a racist. Is conference centre a grant. If it is a grant go ahead build because it seems people from other regions are jealous
John Tembo,when you have nothing to say ,shut your stinking mouth!!!!!! You had been Banda’s stooge and killer machine for 31 years,why now on the side of Peter Muthalika? Have you forgotten your old master whose wishes,you carried with devotion?You and Ntaba carried the heinous demise of the founder President of the MCP,Orton Chirwa,became the enemy of the people of Malawi hence,saw multitude of killings of innocent people.There is nothing important that will drive sensible Malawians thanking bloody-mwenyes on top of their own stollen money.We know very well that you took part in the tragic deaths of Dick Matenje,Twaibu Sangala and Aaron Gadama.Please Tembo just shup-up your stinking-mouth,your hands are drenched with the innocent blood of Malawians!!!!!!!!!!
My apologies. Maybe I am missing something .Your comment on John Tembo , is it relevant to the Ghandi Statue/bust petion. I stand to be corrected
If the statute is a condition for the conference centre then to hell with their conference centre!! We cann’t be allowing everybody to do what they want in Malawi just because we want their grants!! Fotsekiiiiiiiiiiiiiii Wina akabwela ndi kunena kuti cabinet ikayenda maliseche akupatsani K1 trillion and five 5 star hotels muvomela!! What type of thinking is this?
Muthalika’s support to construct Ghandi’s statue,strongly gives an impression that Peter Muthalika and his brother Bingu,are foreigners in Malawi that is why they have nothing to loose in Malawi but,their corrupt behaviour.Right now,Mathanyula has received enormous bags of cash from corrupt mwenyes who have dominated political and economic spheres in our country.SHAME!!!!!!!! Malawians,if you have not learned a lesson from Banda and these two obnoxious Mutalikas,then Malawians you are brainless and mentally retarded.I hate Banda for what he did to Malawians but,in this case,I would warm-heartedly accept his statue.What has Ghandi done to Malawians or Africa in general? Chilembwe sacrificed his dear-life for us and Africa,this is the man correctly and nationalistically,deserves the STATUE.By the way,where did these two Muthalikas come from and what part did they play in our freedom struggle? Does Muthalika and his gang know that Indians are snakes in the grass? There are two economic SATANS in Africa taday,CHINESE AND INDIANS.These people have bought our so-called leaders to exploit our resources for their own interests.Recentry,the Chinese Government invited bull-shit African leaders to china where they were offered US$60billion to help African countries build their economies.This is bull-shit my fellow Africans because in turn,Africans will pay back three times as much.Look at Karonga road to the North that had been constructed not morethan a year ago,but to day,it has completely turned into a GARBAGE-BIN.GOODLUCK MALAWIANS I would advise S.Chilima to destroy the bloody-statue when he is elected into power next-year.
idol worship at its better
We hate the statue itself not the monies. We hate Ghandhi and what he stood for.
Why they cant help their people in India? . Am tired of hearing ” ndi chithandizo from this that’ I miss Bingu,, Bingu could not allow tolerate this nonsense… Maybe in Blantyre but dont come with this in Mzuzu…. vauchindele takana
It’s too late now to protest. The country is long gone to foreigners. The Chinese, indians, Americans and Nigerians have taken over the country and we don’t even know it. Blantyre used to be an extension of Scotland (UK) now its it represents a number of foreign masters. The Ghandi statue is similar to erection of an Indian flag to demonstrate dominance. The Chinese will obviously ask for the same privilege to erect their won statue overtime they put up a building or construct a road.
Rejoice George Chaponda hmmmm i dint know that the UGLY George Chaponda has Such a beautiful Daughter?
Ife tikufuna ma infrastructure ku malawi. Ngati building akufuna kumangayo ikongoletse mzinda wathu wa blantyre let them erect the statue, i couldn’t care less we’re not spending a pen on all that. Ndiye enanu musayambe kutokota apa kuti muchite frustrate project iyi -ngati momwe mwachitira ndi project ya salima lilongwe lake malawi project. anthu osakonda dziko lanu kuti likhale ndi zabwino.
Pathfinder you really need to find the correct path to your mental emancipation. You are still mentally bound . Like Bob Marley sang” emancipate yourself from mental slavery.” The statue should be put if there are so intent on erecting one ,by his convention centre as part of the building not force us to accept his perceived contribution to African emancipation by erecting his statue/ bust along our main highway. Wake up Malawians
how many blacks go to these Indian sports clubs in Malawi cities or Indian something…or rent Indian flats? Even now these Indians are chasing out Malawians in there shops for Chinese tenants. And i wonder what will become of this conference centre! As Malawians do we really benefits from these investors? they are owning the land, controlling us and externalising foreign, evading taxes or getting tax waivers for some projects. How many Malawian own anything in India? these people are so racist to the core in there countries even here some of them.
All the noise these guys are making they just want to be silenced with something but auponda. Blame it on DPP but I can assure you that your Chakwera, Chilima, Joyce Banda, etc would have done the same and they will show diplomatic immaturity if they back such childish protest. The diplomatic spat that can come from India can be of such devastating consequences similar to that of expelled British ambassador during Bingu presidency. They can abandon all Malawi aid and projects such as BWB Mulanje/Blantyre water project. All just because of pride!
Martin Luther King Jr was championing for black Americans rights in USA and sometimes he could do things which irked the white people but today there are his statues in white extremist countries like Sweden, Cuba, Israel, etc. Why referencing your protest on posthumous publications? Can he defend himself? Please stop this nonsense.
ONE THIS THING SO CALLED GHAND IS VERY UGRY TO BE ERECTED HERE IN MALAWI
two that idea of erecting things in malawi without our consent is a natural offence against us,three whoever is trying to convice us about it is not educated . for whatever reasons there is no way indians should put up their things in malawi leaving us in unnecessary argument like this, we have alot of things that we need to focuss on, why cant you and your friends stop this project for our development sake.
peter atleast give us a listening ear for once, we dont neeed this statue here in malawi
The government’s statement is as usual typical of the arrogance that occupies all governments before they fall. To me Ghandi has already been honoured via roads and even the yet to be built convention centre. Statues are another level of honour which to me should be kept for a nation’s own heros. Now if the statue was to be put outside of the planned Mahatma Ghandi Conference Centre, nobody would complain because it would be part of that building. But to place it right in the middle of the road, it really smacks of some sort of deity worship or neocolonialism which the older Ghandi himself would not have approved of.
Now, to be fair to Mahatma Ghandi. The “racist” comments or views which he talked about, were uttered very early in his life (before 30) before he became the human rights advocate and freedom fighter that he is viewed positively for when he got older and changed his life and views. Mandela once said of Ghandi in an article in 1995, “Gandhi must be forgiven those prejudices and judged in the context of the time and circumstances. We are looking here at the young Gandhi, still to become Mahatma, when he was without any human prejudice save that in favour of truth and justice.”
So to bwana Maliseche, listen to the people and move the statue to the Conference Centre, for which we are grateful to the Indian government. If the rationale that we must build this statue as gratitude for aid will stand, then i can assure you we will soon have statues of the British, Germans (God forbid!), Irish, Scottish and the bloody Chinese all over the country. Even Kamuzu has one statue, and its at his mausoleum.
If she were Rejoice Shumba.But Rejoice ..x….x….x…x… Shumba.Palibe chanzeru anganene otumidwa uyu.So you mean every Jim & jack statue can be erected provided the Govt should not spend a tambala?
pliz understand , she is just sports person for the ministry and is telling u the truth of the story as it is. she is not a policy maker. we should not drag her into thius issues
I’m in full support of the construction of the international conference centre 100%..a Malawi tiziyamika when the Indians build the conference centre it will add to the beauty of our beloved Malawi. osamangotengela zilizonse.
So we are erecting this naked idol under the instruction of Indian government. Are we really in control of this country?. Or we are a colony of India? Why cant India put this money to a good use by uplifting those “zikang’a “Indians we see on Aljazeera documentaries?
So, why didn’t you protest the naming of Mahatma Ghandi road on which the statue is being erected now? Is there any difference?
@ ken
Two wrongs never make a right. So you mean we can accept the Germans to errect Hitler’s statue as long as that statue is part of a project or aid that they are giving us. Archaic thinking.
indian government asked for a consent. let us leave indian govt alone as they followed the right procedure
Rejoice it’s not the Malawi gvt but the dipipi led gvt that is in support of election the statue, if it were the Malawi gvt there could be no condition to construct a ghandi square against electing a statue.
Granted Malawi government will not spend a penny, but we know how amwenye akudzigulila malo mu urban and rural Malawi. Surely this is too much a price for Malawi to pay. Tisanamizane apa. Wina wadyapo.
We have hundreds of heroes in Africa: Nyerere, Lumumba, Mandela, Balewa etc etc. Why India?
South Africa izakati ikufuna kumanga statue ya Mandela mzanenaso kuti s/Africa ikuzunza a Malawi through xenophobia
You get the money and construct one your heroes
Beauty but no brains. That defines this Rejoice Chaponda Shumba woman. Why are they not commenting on the claims of racism?
Join the discussion…Where were you when Mahatma Ghandi road was named after him, do you know there is Jomo Kenyatta statue at TVM
The argument about correcting a wrong that was done in the past does not hold, precisely because it is in the past. You do not continue doing a wrong just because it was done once before. And you seriously ask me where I was? Seriously? Was the naming of the road done yesterday?
By the way, do you know that the Indian government is on record saying they will not tolerate statues of foreign leaders to be erected in their country? Google it. And here we are ready to kiss ass for the sake of money.
As for Jomo Kenyatta, sow me racist sentiments from him and I’ll happily add him to the list.
Well said! educate him!
This is all due to Dr Banda’s flawed knowledge of history and African Nationalism and now being perpetuated by these DDP leaders. He had no business and right naming any of our roads after this Ghandi wretch. Gandhi was a racist just like some of his despicable fellow Indians are today. It’s sickening. You see it everyday in Limbe Blantyre Lilongwe Mzuzu etc. Any self respecting African will have nothing to do with Ghandhi. The Indians can keep their International Conference Centre. We will build our own in good time and the govt better listen to the citizens otherwise that bust will be an eyesore and has no future there. Bravo to the young people who are spearheading this crusade against the racist Ghandhi. We are with you. We need a young generation of
gallant warriors like you who are not only knowlknowledgeable about history and current Public issues but have the courage to step forward and fight for what is right. Bottom line is racist Indians and Caucasians (not White, there is no race which is White😔)
have no future in Africa.
Mmmm very true Rejoice is a beauty to watch! Am still rejoicing upon your sight! One of those Monday creations of the Lord!
Iweyonso, where were you? We’re grown ups now so we know what we are talking about, si za Chimangatu izi!!
It’s about our dignity!!
And this so called conference centre, Achina Godfrey Makun u mudzikakolopa kumeneko pomwe uyu wa ku india uyu nkumakulamulirani dziko lanu lomwe, kupusa kotereko tachepetsani, kumaona zopanga comment ngati mmutu mwanu muli mamina okhaokha.
It’s about our dignity we can’t glorify a racist!!