MCP reconciles with Chipembere family as Chakwera invites family for discussions, govt to mill them houses

Malawi Congress Party (MCP) has reconciled with the family of the late Henry Masauko Chipembere whom Kamuzu Banda labelled rebel and fled the country soon after the infamous 1964 cabinet crisis.

Chipembere was one of cabinet ministers in Kamuzu Banda’s first cabinet in 1964 but him and other powerful ministers resigned embassy after disagreeing with Kamuzu Banda on some policies and challenged him in the face, triggering what is now known as 1964 cabinet crisis.

MCP operatives then razed down Chipembere’s village, Moto, in Mangochi in retaliation after Chipembere fled to Tanzania, before settling in exile in the US.

But in a gesture of reconciliation, President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, who is also the leader of MCP, has ordered the government to construct houses in Mangochi for the grandchildren of the late Masauko Chipembere.

Masauko Chipembere was also a Malawian nationalist politician who played a significant role in bringing independence from the colonial rule.

He was staying in South Africa, returned home in 1954 to join his country’s independence struggle as a nationalist strategist and spokesman.

Considering that the independence movement needed a strong leader, he joined with other nationalists to invite late President Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda to Nyasaland as the movement’s leader.

After Kamuzu Banda became leader, Chipembere was appointed cabinet minister in the run up to independence in July 1964.

Speaking during the inspection site for the construction of the houses at Makumba Village, in the area of Traditional Authority (TA) Chowe on Wednesday, Minister of Lands Deus Gumba said late Masauko Chipembere played a very critical role in the fight for independence of the country from the colonial rule.

“The late Masauko Chipembere was one of the early freedom fighters in around 1950s. After so many years, President Dr Lazarus Chakwera thought it wise to honour his soul by constructing two permanent houses for his family.

“This is why, as Minister of Lands, I decided to visit Makumba Village to inspect a place where government will construct the modern houses in honour of the freedom fighter,” he said.

Gumba said the project, whose resources were already allocated in the current financial year, will start early next month and will be completed in a period of three months.

In his remarks, representative of the Chipembere family, who is nephew to the late freedom fighter, Peter Rashid, commended government for the initiative saying it is a great honour to the family.

‘‘We are very thankful to President Chakwera who recently invited us to Chikoko Bay State Lodge where he assured us of his support. The construction of the houses is, therefore, a clear manifestation of his love towards us,” said Rashid.