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Special Essay

Martyrdom: A poison to family structures? P3 Pains of July 20 killings P7

Reasons to live
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Special eSSaY
by chigomezgo Gondwe-chokani the author is a poet/writer

the following institutions and organisations salute Malawi's Martyrs

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Bat cHRR cRWB escom illovo Malawi Bureau of Standards 7. 8. 9. Mardef Ministry od energy Ministry of Finance

10. Ministry of Foreign affairs 11. Ministry of Mining 12. MRa 13. Nation publications limited 14. National assembly 15. Nico Holdings 16. R o a d s Fund

admnistration 17. tevet 18. tNM

or six decades, Malawians everywhere have remembered with grave sadness, on March 3 each year, the great sacrifice made by those long gone to secure the various freedoms we enjoy today. We call them martyrs, and when we speak that word, we pronounce it as delicately as we can to show our respect for these departed souls. Is there a possibility, however, that there were other martyrs even before the 1959 saga, and that we just dont know who they were and so cannot call them by name or salute them with our tears? Were John Chilembwe and others in the 1915 Uprising mere freedom fighters and not martyrs? Did they not die for the same cause? Whatever the case, known or unknown, the trading in of their lives for ours is nothing short of courageous, a selfless demonstration of love towards others, and commitment to the preservation of an agreed and shared way of life. Surely, our commendation could come in more than one way for these heroes? Unlike during the Kamuzu Banda regime, when we dared not mention our heroes by name for fear of being assassinated or castigated, we can now boldly scream out their names in triumph and as a sign of appreciation for what they did. In present-day society, each of us struggles and battles to overcome political, social, cultural, economical and spiritual imbalances in our lives. We all want something new, something fresh, something that will charge our journeys and proclaim on our behalves that Destiny is our Mother! That change for our ancestors could only come with bloodshed. But we have come so far and know

reasons to live F

The Mwanza Four did not die in vain

better than to unnecessarily leave more orphans for destitute Malawians to look after. While we continually desire change (because we are not there yet!) we need not shed more blood. Remember what happened to the Mwanza Four in 1983, Evison Matafale in 2001 and the July 20 in 2011? We have a duty to continue Malawis legacy of freedom peacefully and responsibly. Our youth are our future; let us protect them with everything we have. As we commemorate Martyrs Day this year, I find myself asking if we as a country have done or are doing enough to celebrate the efforts and contributions of our martyrs. Is it enough to only have one day to remember them? Should we not do so every day? Do we do so every day? Is it sufficient to build them PAGE 3

Fast FaCts

Martyrs Day is an annual day observed by nations to salute the martyrdom of soldiers who lost their lives defending the sovereignty of the nation. Malawi, Martyrs Day is celebrated on March in 3 to honour the political heroes who gave their lives in the struggle against British colonialism. During an uprising against the Federation in 1959 40 people lost their lives. these people are remembered on 3 March every year on Martyrs Day. Martyrs Day is considered as a national holiday in Malawi. During the celebration, public offices including schools and some private companies are closed. the government conduct ceremonial speeches to commemorate those whose lives were lost during the rebellion leading to the independence of the State. the president and other public officials attend local gatherings remembering the fallen heroes including the laying of wreaths on monuments dedicated to the popular personalities of the liberation.

Martyrs Day

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Martyrdom: A poison to family structures?

EPHRAIM NYONDO NEws ANAlYst

featuReS

ll the eyes have seen it; the camera never lies. Inside Thomas Prices book, The Independent African, there is a famous photograph of John Chilembwe, a family man. Shot in a countryside, the photograph, captured between 1913 and 1914, shows an elegant seated Chilembwe dressed in a three-piece dark suits, complete with bow tie, flanked by his wife, Idah, and daughter. Idah, too, looks elegant in silk stockings and high-waisted empire gowns with leg of mutton sleeves. The photograph captures the best moment, so far, of the Chilembwe familya story we barely hear in Chilembwe discourse. It reveals that before Chilembwe rose against the British settlers, he was a composed family man. Of course, the daughter died in her childhood, but he also had two boys who grew up and died later in the 70s. In fact, as a family man, he too had the hopes and dreams for his family: seeing his daughter grow into a productive adult and contribute to the nation. But that dream was destroyed by martyrdom. His death after staging a revolt in 1915 was also the death of his family. Historian D.D. Phiri argues that Chilembwes wife died three years later of influenza and the children were taken care of by government. Ruth Mandala, a postgraduate student of African Social History at Chancellor College, advances that his family was disturbed. Their family was not the same. What he envisioned of it was distorted. What Chilembwe himself envisioned of his family couldnt be compensated, she says. Chilembwes family story raises interesting questions about martyrdom and the family structure in history. What was the impact of martyrdom on families? Did they break up or did they stay together? Where were the men? Did women know their

Chilembwes family took a different direction after his death

mens roles in the struggle? Were women also involved in the struggle? What about the children? Mandala argues that death of a male member of the family has an impact on the family. Death is never a simple thing, more so a death of a father. With the coming of colonialism, African men joined the capitalist economy where they had to earn in order to pay hut tax, buy groceries and in other areas where there were mission schools, school fees. So, the death of a male member of a family would deprive a family of the different things it had access to as a result of male labour, which was common at the time. Men are the ones who sought employment outside the home and women took care of the rural economy, she says. D.D. Phiri argues that the way the families of the 1915 uprising were treated is quite different from the way the families of the 1959 martyrs were treated. John Chilembwes family especially his two sons because their mother died three years after the uprisingwas well looked after by the Nyasaland government. Of course, the treatment for the two boys came from the Nyasaland government after noting how the children were suffering. They did not have a close relative, he says. He adds that the Nyasaland government sent the boys to school and they went up to Standard Six. One of the boys worked in the Ministry of Labour under the Kamuzu regime. He died in the 70s without leaving a child. The other one just fled and we dont have the details of where he went, he said. However, the families of the 1959 martyrs were not taken care of. According to D.D. Phiri, the colonial government viewed them as rebels. On involvement of wives, Mandala argues that women are

always invisible in literature even when they laid a hand in fighting for the countrys freedom. Most women are invisible in literature not because they were not active. You cannot talk about the might of Chilembwe without involving his wife. The wife, as the manager at home, played a crucial role in shaping him. However, much of our history was written from the perspective of men, Mandala says. She adds: We need to underline that women, just like men, did not support colonialism and there are many examples in colonial Africa where women displayed political consciousness. So, I dont want to believe that women were completely ignorant of the hostility and the hard feelings in the male members. Mandala further argues that women contributed not only in organisation, but in whatever capacity they could because they too were Africans and they were even hit worst by colonialism. Point of caution, however, is that colonialism was not experienced in the same way everywhere. Some felt it more than others, but in those areas that they felt it more, such as in southern Nyasaland where the system of Thangata was practised, Africans had more reason to react and eventually get killed for it, she says. Margaret Mlanga, the first female politician in the country to hold a position that gave her direct access to Kamuzu Banda, says most women who took the lead in the struggle were either inspired by wives of men who were leading the struggle. For instance, I became nationalist because I was very close to the wives of these important Nyasaland African Congress (NAC) figures, she says. However, D.D. Phiri argues that wives were not that conversant with what was happening. For the case of Chilembwe uprising, wives were kept in the dark. They were not involved. Actually, they just found out that the country was on fire. Of course, most wives were arrested and detained in Zomba for a week, but they were later freed, says D.D. Phiri. n

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tHeMe

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What is our reason to live?

PAGE 2 monuments where their names are engraved onto shiny brass plates and read by scores of curious tourists that visit our country? Should not our streets, highways, schools and communities bear their names? Have we written enough books about their efforts and lives, delving into issues of solidarity, purpose and patriotism? Are we a patriotic nation today, not only politically but socially too? Are we doing enough to take Malawi to the next level of its existence? Are we doing our martyrs justice by leaving them out of our school syllabuses and allowing our children to view such special days as a mere school holiday, one without significance or relevance? Do we as parents tell our children these stories or do we also view it as only an opportunity to meet and have fun with friends at our usual drinking joints? Are we preserving our heritage by suppressing these important bits of our national story? Do our youth know and understand the value of this beautiful love story that these heroes have woven into our society s fabric? Should we, too, one day depart this world, we should hope that the legacy we leave behind for our children and future generations would be celebrated with pomp. Not glamour or fanfare, but a simple living out of their lives with passion, joy, renewed hope and the sense of adventure that any growing nation should have as it ventures into the unknown. We should hope that they would have a deeper sense of individual and collective purpose; that with unwavering determination they would pursue their ultimate freedom; that the love we have for one another and our blessed country would be reflected in the way they talk, walk and live with each other; that they would remain united throughout their days. This years Martyrs Day commemoration gives us an opportunity to shape our destiny, to craft our story and visibly demonstrate the reasons we each have to live. It is time to cross oceans and climb mountains; to beat the drum and herald sunrise. It is time to dance with the stars and smile at the moon; to absorb lifes colours and mark for ourselves eternal horizons. It is time to experience the freedom enshrined in our Constitution; to embrace the unknown like butterflies. Smoothly circling around sound, let our voices echo to raise sleeping souls. In our varied languages and dialects, let us converse with the universe. Let us live to fulfil the purpose destined for Mama Malawi, and when we do, it shall all be worth it. Our past, present and future give us all the reasons to live and not die; reasons for us to announce a new future filled with joy, passion, determination, peace, purpose, freedom, adventure, hope, love and togetherness. n

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featuReS

The list of martyrs lengthens

James Chavula News ANAlyst
nless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it cannot produce much grain. Martyrs Day brings this to mind as the country celebrates a gallant few who shed their blood on March 3 1959 to give rise to a new Malawi whose flag represents a new dawn for a people that lived under the yolk of the British colonial government. The path of sorrow, that path alone, leads out of sorrow, said Mzati Banda, a resident of Mkumbira, Nkhata Bay, in 2007 when asked to share his memories of the death of scores of resistant locals near Nkhata Bay Jetty 54 years ago. He recalls: On the fateful day, a settlers army, comprising soldiers from South Africa and Zimbabwe, opened fire on Malawians who were clamouring for the release of their nationalist leaders who had been arrested when the colonial government declared a state of emergency the previous day. History shows that what had started as a mere rumour of the arrests culminated into widespread revolts which left 20 dead in Nkhata Bay, some detained and others drowned in Lake Malawi. But it was not for nothing that those agitating for self-rule laid down their lives. These events leading to and resulting from the day of martyrdom were just an episode of the winning battle against the Federation of Rhodesia (Zimbabwe and Zambia) and Nyasaland, which sparked the formation of resistance movements such as Elliot Kamwanas Nyasaland African Congress (NAC) in 1944 and Orton Chirwas Malawi Congress Party (MCP) later. The NAC and MCP founders later ceded NAC throne to Kamuzu Banda, a British-trained doctor and founding president of independent Malawi who declared March 3 a national holiday, as he was among the nationalists that were detained for demanding the right to selfrule and nationhood.

mzuzu residents mourn the July 20 vistims at a mass funeral

March 3 is, therefore, a symbol of struggle for freedom in the country and we honour our heroes and heroines who lost their lives in pursuit for emancipation for Malawians and humanity at large, writes political scientist Michael Jana in The Root of Liberation, a commemorative article for The Nation last year. During Kamuzus 31-years in rule, the selfless souls included John Chilembwe. However, Kamuzus successor Bakili Muluzi, who ruled the country from 1994 to 2004, set aside January 15 as John Chilembwe Day in memory of his 1915 revolt against the involvement of Malawians in World War I; unpaid labour (a slave-like employment system called Thangata) on white-owned plantations and harsh tax. However, opinion is gaining sway that the Martyrs Day must include more gallant fighters than just those who made 1915 and 1959 historic because freedom fighting in the country did not start in the colonial era. It did not end when the country attained political independence on July 6 1964 either. In 2011, lawyer Vera Chirwa, the widow of one of MCP founders Orton Chirwa, received a national award of merit in recognition of her contribution to the struggle that ended colonial rule in 1964 and Kamuzus one-party rule in the early 1990s. She says that the countrys continued battles for various freedoms does not show that her husband and company died in vain. She reckons the early nationalists were fighting with the future of their children in mind and Malawians are reaping the desired fruits. My husband fought so that todays generation can have a land to call home as well as freedom, she told The Nation last year. To her, the freedoms range from self-rule to freedom of expression, worship, dressing that is visible among the countrys population, estimated at 15 million by the National Statistical Office. She explained: One day, I stood on the podium saying women will start wearing trousers. Little did I know that women will one day literally wear trousers. Todays generation is free to develop themselves without fear of being imprisoned. Tell me again why anyone would think that our martyrs shed their blood for nothing. Her husbandwho died in prison after falling out of favour with the dictatorial government of Kamuzu who succeeded him as MCP leaderis credited with risking his life and family to form the party at the time colonial prisons were filled with people agitating for independence. Those that were arrested during the March 2 1959 state of emergency included Yatuta Chisiza and Masauko Chipembere. Ironically, the fallen ministers suffered the wrath of Kamuzu along with the late Kanyama Chiume for criticising the fallen leader in a 1964 upheaval that has gone into history as the Cabinet Crisis. Kamuzu is credited with creating a lengthening list of martyrs, including Dick Matenje, Twaibu Sangala, Aaron Gadama and David Chiwanga who were reportedly accidentalised in a 1983 mystery that made headlines as Mwanza Case during Muluzis reign. Yet, rulers of democratic Malawi are not innocent. Months after the police shot dead 20 people in a countrywide protests against President Bingu wa Mutharikas repressive rule, poet Jack Mapanje authored a prosy poem titled The List of Martyrs Lengthens. The July 20 2011 killings brought to mind the 2000 shooting of Chancellor College student Fanikiso Phiri at a time University of Malawi students were demonstrating against a government policy. Associate professor of political science Blessings Chinsinga told The Nation that people can only become martyrs if they stood for beliefs, principals and causes that are in tune with the desired social order. n

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The root of freedom

Reuben H. CHileRa Author is politicAl
philosopher bAsed in

featuReS

lilongwe

Man was born free, and he is everywhere in chains, wrote French philosopher JeanJacques Rousseau in 1762. Despite the unprecedented progress in civilisation and governance over the years, the above paradox sounds more true today than it has ever been. There is no single person who can deny that freedom is the birthright of all; yet everywhere you go, people are continually engaged in some struggle to be free from different kinds of oppression and many die in the process. Africa, more than any other continent, embodies this freedom paradox. Our struggle for liberation from colonialism in the 1960s raised some hopes that Africans would finally breathe the pure and unpolluted air of freedom once the continent was ruled by fellow Africans. But the first generation of African presidents turned out to be wolves in sheep skin and was more oppressive than the colonialists. This inevitably led to another struggle for freedom in the early 1990s that ushered in multiparty democracy which promised to restore freedom to the masses. But the undemocratic elements in the leadership of the multi-party era has plunged Africa, once again, into another struggle for freedom and the recent Northern African revolutions are just one among many. The continuing struggle for freedom is a clear testimony that there is an undeniable conviction in every human being that freedom is the birthright of all, and the State has no justification to chain its citizens. That is why history is replete with stories of how people all over the world are engaged in struggles for various freedoms which governments deny them. John Stuart Mill captured this struggle in his classic 1869 essay, On Liberty, the struggle between liberty and authority is the most conspicuous feature in

a scene from July 20 2011 mass demonstrations

the portions of world history. Mill defined liberty as the protection against the tyranny of the political rulers. He argued that true freedom comprises, first, the inward domain of consciousness; demanding liberty of conscience, liberty of thought and feeling; absolute freedom of opinion and sentiment on all subjects, practical or speculative, scientific, moral or theological. Secondly, the principle liberty of tastes and pursuits; of framing the plan of our life to suit our character as long as we do not harm others. Thirdly, freedom to unite for any purpose, not with the intention to harm others. Mill concluded by arguing that no society in which these liberties are not respected is free whatever maybe its form of government, since the only freedom which deserves the name, is that of pursuing our own good as long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs or impede their efforts to obtain it. The struggle between liberty and authority can be costly and many have paid the ultimate price - martyrdom. Martyrdom was originally a religious term and it comes from the Greek word martus, meaning witness. In the religious circles, a witness is someone who testifies on behalf of his religion to convert others to ones faith. And since religions have suffered persecutions in one way or the other, some religious adherents choose to be killed than renounce their beliefs. Hence, they die as witnesses or martyrs to their religious beliefs. A political martyr is, therefore, a person who sacrifices his life in the pursuit of freedom for mankind; he would rather be killed than renounce his belief in the moral value of freedom. Martyrs are a rare breed of people who courageously choose to engage the powers that be in demanding freedom for the masses and are not afraid of the states oppressive machinery. They do not only believe in the moral value of freedom, but they are also crusaders for freedom who believe that their death will preach the gospel of freedom louder than their lives. Such a people are deaf to government propaganda, are not afraid of the States rule of terror and are not ready to sacrifice their belief in freedom for a brief adulterous affair with the powers that be. Unlike animals, human beings are capable of appreciating the moral value of freedom. A dog only cares for physical pleasures, and it does not get bothered when you keep it on chain all day long as long as you give it food and comfort. A being of higher faculties, writes John S Mill, requires more to make him happy, is capable of more acute of suffering than an animal; but in spite of these liabilities, he can never really wish to sink into an animal. It is the capacity to embrace freedom that makes human beings refuse to be treated like an animal. Human beings have faculties more elevated than the animal appetites and when once made conscious of them, do not regard anything as happiness which does not include their realisation. All martyrs sing one common song, It is better to be a human being dissatisfied than a pig satisfied; better to be Socrates than a fool satisfied (to borrow Mills words) . In other words, martyrs value liberty more than physical pleasures and will not be satisfied by our daily bread when that bread is being eaten in fear and uncertainty. They will not be satisfied with the absence of physical war

when the State is at war with its own citizens through repressive laws, higher taxes, corruption, nepotism, etc. A martyr would rather choose to be Socrates, the Greek philosopher, who confronts the government of the day with the painful truth of liberty, than being a fool who cannot talk just because the State has stuffed his mouth with scones. A martyr lives for others and sympathises with his neighbour who is in trouble, but a fool is only concerned about his own comfort. A true martyr risks their life, comfort and pleasures to help humankind breathe the air of freedom. The hall of fame of martyrs worldwide leads to an interesting observation: most of them were members of the civil society. The most famous martyr in Malawi, Rev. John Chilembwe, was a religious leader who led an uprising of 1915 to fight for the freedom of his people. Even though he was killed in the uprising, the colonial government was forced to institute a commission of inquiry that led to the abolishment of some of the oppressive laws. Today, Malawians esteem him highly as is evidenced from the Chilembwe day public holiday and his face which graces the Malawian currency. Some people might be surprised to read that Chilembwe was a member of the civil society. The term civil society has been demonised and given a negative connotation in our days, especially in Africa, and it seems to refer to a group of confusionists whose sole agenda is to fight the government and destabilise the country. The average Malawian does not want to be associated with the civil society, and a lot of people believe they do not belong to the civil society at all. Civil society, however, is all those voluntary organisation that exists between the individual and the State (authority) such as the family, churches, trade unions, sports and music clubs and charities. If you are an individual and you belong to any of the above PAGE 15

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Pains of July 20 killings

albert sharra Staff RepoRteR

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t 93, John Msuku of Chiputula Township in Mzuzu and his wife Rachel (83) sit on an open ground basking in the sun; pain and disbelief written on their faces. Perhaps, if they had died before July 20 2011, they could rest happily knowing that their grandchildren are living happily. But sadly, it was their son and bread winner King Msuku who died on that day, whose events are popularly referred to as the July 20 demonstrations. The 38-yearold King was shot dead by the police and confirmed dead at Mzuzu Central Hospital. He was one of the 20 who died a similar death on the fateful day nationwide. Life is not the same. The pillar of the family is gone. Who will feed us and our grand children? We thought it is time for us to enjoy the sweat of our son, says John, amid tears. John and his wife had six children, but are left with only one. The rest died. With the elderly couple trying to hide their tears, their only living child, Steven, chips in: We all depended on him. With his death, everyone in the family looks up to me. But I am not employed. I only do piecework and I cannot afford to feed the whole family, says Steven, who is married and has four children. He says King left a wife and four children. This means he is the sole provider for the 13member family. His mother says in Tumbuka: Wangakwaniska cha, meaning the son is struggling to feed the family. The mother adds that she wonders if the death of her last born child was really for the countrys freedom. We were cheated after the death. Many people, including political leaders, came with various support, but they are nowhere to be seen. Government mercilessly robbed us our breadwinner to drive us into poverty and leave us alone, mourns the mother. John adds that the deceased was not only the breadwinner but also source of wisdom for

the July 20 victims added to the list of Malawis martys

the family. Steven says since July 20, life in the family has changed. He adds that the recent economic challenges have worsened their living standards, saying they sometimes survive on a meal a day. In Lilongwe, another family of the late Adam Banda (42) who was based in Mzuzu when he met his fate on July 20, has been reduced to dreadful poverty. Harold Phiri, a close friend to the deceased, when speaking on behalf of the family through a phone interview said Banda died in his hands. Banda was the breadwinner for his family. I invited him to join me in Mzuzu to generate money to help his family because I saw him struggling to feed his parents. When he came here, he boosted my business and he was able to support his parents, he says, adding that Banda was not a criminal. Phiri reveals that Bandas parents, who are in their late 70s, are now living on proceeds from a small piece of land and on several occasions, he has been informed that the family has no food. The pains of July 20 killings can also be felt by Milika Lefania woman in her 60s who told The Nation on May 21 last year that she is living in pain due to loss of her son Joseph. According to Lefani, the deceased was a tyre fitter at Ndirande Market. On the day of the incident, he was home until early evening hours when he was tipped that there was looting at the market. The mother says, the deceased rushed to the market to rescue his tyres and met the fate in course. So painful is the fact that Joseph was her only living son and the familys bread winner. The mother had 10 children and now has only three female children. It is very hard to make ends meet, said the mother, adding that she wants the law to pin down the police officer who is suspected to have killed her son. She says she has nowhere to get support, and that life is hard. Lefanis two daughters, Donnaita and Emily, say Joseph was not just the familys breadwinner, but also a pillar of knowledge and wisdom. He was very close to us and our children. We are not happy that he died in that manner. Is it because we are poor that justice is not prevailing? complains Emily, the deceaseds elder sister adding that it is hard to believe that their brother is gone. On July 20, civil society groups and other ordinary citizens took to the streets in protest against the deteriorating political and economic governance in the country during the late president Bingu wa Mutharika regime. Twenty people lost their lives to police gun shots, contrary to international standards that say the Police should not use live ammunition in controlling unarmed people, but instead nonlethal incapacitating weapons. Apart from Malawi Human Rights Commission(MHRC), the United Nations and Amnesty International (AI) in the The Nation of July 23, 2011 condemned the use of live bullets and called for investigations into the killings. Nonetheless, none so far has been taken to task for the deaths, a development Lefani says causes more pain to her family. n

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poetRY

Martyrdom
Ill kneel here, defeated, as they beat me. Ill be silent, strong as ever, despite how they treat me. Ill take on all their rage, their hatred, their pain, Because Ive nothing to lose and theyve nothing to gain. And should my god-hewn armour start to chafe, Ill rest easy knowing that youre safe. Because no matter the pain that I endure, No matter the ailments without cure, My only concern is what happens to you, Because I love you and you know its true. So Ill face these heathens and all their bluster, And Ill take on all the torment they can muster. As I suffer my final hours, I will but thank the mystic powers, That made sure you were spirited away, Because theyd kill you to if Id let you stay. I will go unto my death unafraid, Because while youre safe, in the ground Ill be laid. by Justaboy.

The Martyr
I will carry my soul in my hand And throw it in the valleys of death It is either a life that makes a friend happy Or a death that makes an enemy angry The noble mans soul has two goals To die or to achieve its dreams What is life if I dont live? Feared and what I have is forbidden to others When I speak, all the world listens And my voice echoes among people I see my death, but I rush to it This is the death of men And whoever desires an honourable death Then this is it How am I patient with the spiteful? And patient with all this pain? Is it because of fear? While life has no value to me! Or humiliation? While I am contemptuous! I will throw my heart at my enemies faces And my heart is iron and fire! I will protect my land with the edge of the sword So my people will know that I am the man by Abdelrahim Mahmud 1937

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Enjoying fruits of martyrs

A
SAMUEL CHIBAYA Staff RepoRteR
s the country commemorates Martyrs Day, there are a lot of things that happened, some were not good but others were good and are worth emulating, as Traditional Authority Makhwila of Chikhwawa recalls. The elderly chief narrates the path of independence that Malawi took. Independence did not come on silver platter, as some lost their blood. Today, they are called martyrs because they died for a particular cause, in a selfless manner, he says. The journey has been long from the time the British colonialists ruled this country up to when first president Hastings Kamuzu Banda took over the countrys leadership. The chief worked as copy typist in different companies including McConnell, Blantyre Saw Mill, and Mandala Limited. I spent 45 years in Blantyre while working in different firms as a copy typist, he says, adding that he worked for Mandala for 20 years, McConnell for 11 years and other companies. As his years progressed in the different work places, the country was also progressing in terms of embracing independence, which some died for. It was after my grandfather had died that I was called to serve the people of this area in the capacity of a T/A. At first, I refused. This did not go well with them and they insisted that I took up my late fathers throne, to which I agreed after some time, he said. So Makhwila was installed T/A in the districts famous East Bank area on May 7, 1994. Despite the path of independence being marked by highs and lows, Makhwila is able to count the gains the country made in that transient period, which is on-going. For example, the mere fact that we got self-rule [in 1964] is an indication that independence brought us something good. If

featuReS

The root of our freedom

PAGE 7 voluntary groups, then you are part of the civil society. Since the State has evil tendencies to oppress its own people, the civil societys role is to protect the individuals against the States abuse of its authority. Civil society acts as a counterbalance force to the power of government by protecting the freedom of individuals. The idea of civil society is, therefore, inseparable from the idea of freedom. It is a common mistake to suppose that an individual existing alone can be free, and that freedom is the absence of restraint. The theory of civil society reminds us that the state of freedom is one in which just restraints are applied to men and that it is by their voluntary association with one another(as a civil society) that the condition of each person is improved. Malawians know that the story of our freedom will be incomplete without mentioning the active role that the civil society has and continues to play. During the colonial period the church, political parties and trade unions joined hands in the struggle for freedom. And in the fight for multi-party democracy, the celebrated Catholic pastoral letter initiated the 1992/93 uprising that finally led to the introduction of multi-party democracy. The coming of multiparty democracy has seen the emergence of a vibrant civil society in Malawi that has helped in the continuing struggle for freedom. Wayne LaPierre observes: Freedom is never an achieved state; like electricity, weve got to keep generating it or the lights go out. As we remember our martyrs this year, let us pray that we be clothed with the same martyrdom spirit that made them sacrifice their precious lives to purchase freedom so that we can keep the fire of our freedom burning. n

T/A Makwila: They fought for the freedom we enjoy today

we fail to manage it now, then it is our fault, says Makhwila. He mentioned several freedoms the country is currently enjoying, such as the freedom of dress, which Malawi did not have for decades. Also, you may recall that during the one party system people had limited freedom of accessing what they would want to wear as there were no second hand clothes or shoes like we have now, he said. He also talked of things like owning modern houses, running businesses, or just having a mere television. Makhwila recalls that not long ago, residents of this country had limited opportunities to access such things, but now the horizon was expanded. When you walk in the villages, you are able to find people owning television sets, he added. The transport sector is also another area that Makhwila said has registered profound strides under the banner of independence. The chief gave a particular emphasis on the changes in the public transport. We would literary sleep at the bus depot just because transport was so limited but look now there are big buses and minibuses everywhere. Transporting from one place to another has been made simple, Makhwila says. Lute Felenando of the same area also gave examples of expanded infrastructure as some of the benefits that an independent Malawi has enjoyed over the years, though they are not enough. She gave examples of distance reduced for people to access schools or health institutions, unlike in the past when one would spend many hours to go to school. We used to walk on foot for several kilometres, but I am glad that learners are able to find a school within a reasonable distance. This is progress and we are striving towards reducing the distance further, said Felenando. She also gave examples of coming in of technology as one thing that has also been notable benefits, for example, she talked of the influx of cheaper battery powered torches, which have helped reduce the burden of relying on expensive paraffin-lit lamps. She also mentioned use of technologies such as mobile phones, which have also helped in facilitating communication. For instance, when a woman is pregnant, she is able to call for transport or other form of help from others, Felenando says. The death the martyrs went through is responsible for the benefits the country is going through. It can either be described as profound in some quarters, though others may not agree. The legacy the martyrs left still lives on. n

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Special pullout NatioN oN SuNDaY 3 MaRcH 2013