March 3 has no meaning in the new democratic Malawi
On Friday, March 3, 2017, Malawians quietly observed Martyrs Day. This day was set aside to remember our fallen freedom fighters. Specifically, Martyrs Day has been commemorated ostensibly to honour our brothers and sisters who lost their dear lives during the John Chilembwe Uprising on 1915.
But it was also on March 3, 1959 when Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda and other ‘independence fighters’ were arrested by the British colonizers and thrown into Gweru Prison in Zimbabwe. It is this independence struggle that led to Malawians attaining self rule and consequently independence in 1964.
Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda became the first President of this country and his Malawi Congress Party (MCP) the only legal political party until 1994.
While Malawians were made to believe that March 3 was ‘Martyrs Day’, some people strongly believe that the day was set aside to ‘honour’ Dr. Kamuzu Banda who was arrested by the British on that day in 1959 and not necessarily to commemorate the 1915 John Chilembwe Uprising.
What was most disturbing about March 3 during the Kamuzu and MCP dictatorship was that instead of celebrating the fallen heroes, many Malawians were locked up on this day for months and years on end purportedly for not ‘mourning’.
It was a day when Malawians were supposed to lock themselves up in their homes and no one was supposed to do the usual and ordinary domestic chores like washing clothes except for cooking and listening to the John Chilembwe radio play on the only radio network at that time, MBC.
Under the ruthless MCP dictatorship, on March 3 Malawians were not allowed to drink alcohol even indoors. If you were spotted taking alcohol by the notorious Youth Leaguers or indeed an observant neighbor, you were immediately condemned to detention without trial. It was one of the worst days on the Malawi calendar.
They say the past is for us to learn from. The days of Dr. Banda and Malawi Congress Party must teach us, Malawians, a lesson not to return to that hell. March 3 must be scraped from our holiday calendar and we must only commemorate Freedom Day on June 14 because that day in 1993 marked Malawi genuine redemption from the yoke of brutal dictatorship.
March 3 has no meaning in the new democratic Malawi. The March 3 holiday serves no purpose at all except to remind us about the Kamuzu and MCP under whose dictatorship Malawi was hell on earth.
It is on record that over 6,000 people were murdered during the Kamuzu and MCP era and thousands more were either incarcerated without trial or mysteriously disappeared. Dr. Banda himself used to publicly threaten his political detractors that they would be “meat for crocodiles” if they dared oppose his autocracy.
All Malawians were forced to be members of the MCP. Party cards had to be carried at all times and presented at random police inspections. The cards were sold, often by the Youth Leaguers. Pregnant women were forced to also buy an MCP membership card for their unborn baby.
It is well documented that the Malawi Young Pioneers, the notorious paramilitary wing of the MCP, intimidated and harassed Malawians with impunity. The Pioneers bore arms, conducted espionage and intelligence operations, and were trusted bodyguards for Banda. They helped foster the culture of fear that prevailed during his rule.
On January 4, 1996, Dr. Kamuzu Banda issued a purported apology to Malawians for his and MCP atrocities committed against their own people.
“During my term of office, I selflessly dedicated myself to the good cause of Mother Malawi in the fight against poverty, Ignorance and disease among many other issues; but if within the process, those who worked in my government or through false pretence in my name or indeed unknowingly by me, pain and suffering was caused to anybody in this country in the name of nationhood, I offer my sincere apologies. I also appeal for a spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness amongst us all.
“Our beautiful country has been nicknamed `The Warm Heart of Africa’ and we have been admired for our warmth and spirit of hard work. This admiration calls not only for a need for us to look at our past and present and draw lessons from it, but there is even a greater need for us to look forward to the future in our endeavors to reconstruct and reconcile if we have to move forward at all,” said Dr. Banda in a prepared statement, which many analysts raised doubts that it was truly the statement of Banda himself, given his precarious health he was in at that time.
True to Dr. Kamuzu Banda’s words, we need to look forward to the future. We cannot continue with holidays that bear a semblance Dr. Kamuzu Banda and MCP brutal dictatorship. President Peter Mutharika and his Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration must seriously consider scraping March 3 from our holiday calendar. It will be a perfect way to move forward!
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Firstly, March 3, holiday should remain for ever. Those of us who are age fully understands this holiday and its impact. Zinazi musamangobwebwetapo. Blaming Dr. H. Kamuzu Banda or doubting his apology, is total madness. Kamuzu apologized to Malawi Nation. We , who were of age at that material time accepted his apology because we saw it that it came from his Heart! About the cards, the system is very good. Just a thought, Why does Lilongwe Golf Club collect subscription fees? Simple reason, to sustain their activities. By NOT doing that how does it run? Panopa zipani zanuzi nchifukwa… Read more »
You haven’t told us why MCP is no longer selling party cards to its members including you. Why did they have to abandon the system if it was good? Accept reality Mkulu, member or non-member MCP was brutal and dictatorial.
Sorry, I tend to differ on that. I feel let’s put history straight with tinted eyes and analytical thinking, if need be to minimize number of holidays John Chilembwe Day needs to be scrapped off or be celebrated together with his friends on 3rd March. Much as we remember his fight for freedom the day focus much on his life all through to the day of the uprising which flopped and never brought much needed fruits to the nation as evidenced by the time lag from the date of his uprising (1915) to the date of attainment of our freedom… Read more »
“Does a freedom fighter ran away and leave behind his colleagues?” The answer is yes. We call it a tactical withdrawal in order to re-engage later.
Dear Brother Thom, I guess age is fast catching up on you. You never wrote such trash before
The canon is no longer loose, you should know that you cannot erase history whether good or bad. As such there will be no so called genuine redemption if we relegate the those who fought for our independence to a footnote in history. Read Chilembwe very well you will notice that he was just fighting for his congregants and not the entire nation but the 3rd March Matyrs fought for what we are today. They can change the day from 3rd March to anything like 25th December. What is important is for us to honour those who liberated us from… Read more »
WELL WRITTEN DOCUMENT. HOWEVER, IT HAS POLITICAL WARM FEATHERS IN IT. IF KAMUZU APOLOGIZED IN 1996. WHILE STILL PAINTING THE PARTY WILL FORMS OF UNNECESSARY PAINT. LET’S FORGE AHEAD. 20 JULY WAS ANOTHER D-DAY IN MALAWI. LET’S FORGET THE PAST LOOK FORWARD WITH HOPE AND DETERMINATION. LONG LIVE DEMOCRACY.