Malawi govt to start Kamuzu Memorial Park construction project
The construction of Kamuzu Memorial Park will start soon at the Kamuzu Mausoleum in Lilongwe, Minister of Civic Education, Culture and Community Development, Cecilia Chazama, disclosed Wednesday.
The minister said this when she toured the Mausoleum to appreciate the site and how best it could be improved to attract visitors from within and abroad.
She said the Kamuzu Memorial Park, where the founding father of the nation rests, could turn into centre of attraction when everything as planned was in place.
“Government will soon embark on Phase one of the construction of the Kamuzu Memorial Park because we have an allocation for the task in the 2017/18 national budget and the Buildings and Construction Department has already done the designing of the Park,” said Chazama.
She said the full design of the Memorial park would among other things include a fence, library containing books and literature about the first Malawi President, his personal things and everything that defined the fallen Malawi leader.
Director of Culture, Dr. Elizabeth Gomani Chindevu, who accompanied the minister, said the construction of the Kamuzu Memorial Park would also help generate funds as visitors would be required to pay a fee to tour the Park and the Mausoleum.
“As it is now it is difficult for us to introduce a fee for visiting the Mausoleum because there is no fence and an office for the cashier to be operating in. But when everything is in place, it would be easy to run the Park with a fee attached for a visit,” said Chindevu.
During the visit, the Director of Culture briefed the minister on some challenges at the Mausoleum which include cracks, faulty wiring and leaking in some areas and she said there was need for immediate maintenances to rectify the challenges.
The Kamuzu Mausoleum was constructed from 2005 – 2006 by Malawi’s third President, Prof. Bingu Mutharika, and it was unveiled on May 14, 2006, to coincide with the Kamuzu Day.
The design of the Mausoleum connotes a rich history and culture of the country as it is supported by four strong corner pillars representing Unity, Loyalty, Discipline and Obedience, on which Dr. Banda built the nation; six pillars on each of the four sides representing the 24 district that were there until Dr. Banda’s death on November 25, 1997; and four inner corner pillars resenting the additional four districts that came after Kamuzu’s demise.
The Mausoleum has two sections, the basement where the body of Dr. Banda lies deep under in a Chewa culture (about 2m away to the left of the tomb) and the upper section where another tomb is placed directly in line with Dr. Banda’s exact resting place underneath.
The upper section is open to the public while the basement section is only open to VVIP, according to Chindevu.
Dr. Banda’s tomb on the upper section is shrouded in a shrub and bushy overgrowth in each corner while in each of the outer corner, there is Mkunguza tree and all this gives the place the common appearance of a rural grave yard.
“You know Kamuzu was a Chewa. That’s why he was buried in a Chewa culture where the body is placed in a special room curved on the side of the grave commonly called saiti and the green overgrowth around the tomb mimics the Chewa graveyard,” explained Chindevu.
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So many Malawians have no access to safe water or even enough food, but we are going to build a memorial to a dead dictator?? Malawi’s government has lost complete leave of its senses and priorities. If any tourists come, they will be shocked that the dead are prioritised over the living.
Malawi,my beloved home land,Where are you heading to? I could not believe my eyes when I red about the shameful and idiotically motivated construction to attract our people of the Central Region to vote for DDP in 2019.This is incredibly unbelievable when you think of our overwhelming majority who can not afford to have food three times a day and yet,Muthalika is contemplating to constructing Kamuzu memorial park what a sleeping country? You want to use the funds of the Malawian people who are suffering,to construct the park in the name of the monster who brutally oppressed our people? Is… Read more »
Kunyansisa town ayi ndi tizimbuzi. Just maintain what is there. Ngati mukulephera kusamala pano, what more mukayikapo ka nyumba ka azilonda?
Memorial Park is a priority for the DPP led Government?
kkkkkkkkkkkkkkk. So the whole DPP govt thinks this is more important than solving endless strikes by teachers, lectures etc. This govt is fucked up to the bone. Are visitors going to pay so that you should generate revenue as the case in Kenya. No leadership in DPP but stealing mxiiiii!!!
Mbava izi, zingofuna potulutsira ndalama zochitira campaign ya 2019, kugula mafumu omwe asanduka aneneli a DPP, daily akumalankhula pa MBC kunyoza Opposition, miseu ikukukanikani apa!!
You every thing is negative,come on you people, tourism is also important you.
Tourist what tourist. Why not have a good boat to Likoma Island. Which tourist Will go to see an African dictator u are joking. There are more important people Who have died in this world Who did good things. What did Kamuzu Banda do to be honnored that? Is this to please Kamuzu family or win voters from A Chewa? DDP hate MCP so why honor Banda Who was The father of MCP. Wasting money.
Za ziii zopanda ndi Nchere omwe. You start useless projects kufuna kuwononga ndalama and Yet Students at University of Malawi are suffering coz you cant pay their teachers, primary school teachers cry of the same. Boma lopanda masomphenya. Mxiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii. This cant win u any votes from the centre