The Mwanza Four
Cuthbert Kachale
[Ba Paliani had asked me in private why the Mwanza Four were eliminated. I am putting it in the public domain so that some other compatriots can add or subtract what I have answered. I find this to be of national importance. Mzee]
Ba Paliani,
The Mwanza Four incident took place when I had already left Malawi in 1981. These people were killed either under Banda’s orders or under Tembo’s orders. BUT our former President, Dr Bakili Muluzi, reckons that it was under Tembo’s orders.
What I picked up was that there were two issues at stake: Banda wanted to go on a one year leave and wanted either Mama or Tembo to act. Secondly there was an adverse Auditor General Report against an institution where Tembo was involved.
These two issues were heavily opposed my Ba Aaron Gadama, Ba Dick Matenje and Ba Twiabu Sangal, who were ministers. The fourth person, Ba Chiwanga was just an MP and was caught in cross fire.
The full trial of Banda , Tembo and Mama as respondents at the High Court, has full details of how they were captured and where there were temporary put in Limbe near Auction Floors and the orders to have them killed. ALL key witnesses died one by one.
My brother, Ba Geofrey Kachali, who was the author of the adverse Audit Report as Deputy Auditor General, was poisoned and was hospitalized at Zomba. A government sent doctor was to operate upon him . The move proved to be sinister and so Ba Prof Moses Chirambo stood vigil and did the job of resuscitation him without surgery.
My brother soon after took up an regional job at ESAMI in Arusha.
My other brother, Ba late Roy Kachale, was there before.
The Mwnza Four were killed and died b painful deaths as it would appear from their heads were crushed possibly with metal instruments or sledge hammers. The lady South African Pathologist lamented that “their skulls looked like shells of broken eggs”.
However, here is the link that might help
http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/33986821?selectedversion=NBD25788102
Cuthbert Kachale
· “In May of 1983, Dick Matenje, the secretary-general of the Malawi Congress Party, Mr. Chiwanga, the Minister of Health, Aaron Gadama, another Minister, and Mr. Sangala, an MP, were brutally murdered by agents of the Malawi Government. The agents put the bodies in a car, but bungled an attempt to make it go into a river. The mangled bodies of the victims were found. After the fall of the Kamuzu Banda regime, a Commission of Inquiry was set up to investigate. This documentary shows the reactions of the people after the results of the inquiry were made public. There was violence--the MCP office in Blantyre was vandalized--and there was anger when John Temwo, the main suspect, and other accomplices were brought to court. The "Mwanza Four" were publicly honoured in a military funeral ceremony in Lilongwe. There was a procession of women to the prosecutor to show sympathy for Kamuzu Banda, and to plead for leniency for the old man.”
Adamson S. Muula
And Moses Chirambo went to Geneva while he was Chief of Health Services. On his return; he was told at Kia that the post had been taken up by Dr Heatherwick
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Cuthbert Kachale
No wonder he suffered heart attack and then later died when he was told he was no longer Health Minister under Bingu while in an official car somewhere near Kaungu. The car stopped and the lag got removed and the driver asked him where he should take him.
Both incidents were brutal.
Mzee
From: Adamson S. Muula [mailto:amu...@medcol.mw]
Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2016 12:30 PM
To: bwalo-la-aphunzitsi
Cc: MALAW...@groupspaces.com; Cuthbert Kachale; Pali...@yahoo.com; NYAS...@LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG; civsoc-mw
Subject: Re: [BwalolaAphunzitsi] The Mwanza Four
And Moses Chirambo went to Geneva while he was Chief of Health Services. On his return; he was told at Kia that the post had been taken up by Dr Heatherwick
.
Cuthbert Kachale
Achimwene,
Thank you for the enlightenment. The popular belief during that sad time was that he was in shock and developed heart attack. That is the beauty of debating. Records are set straight.
It is a small world.
Mzee
From: Louis Nthenda [mailto:louisn...@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2016 9:56 PM
To: Cuthbert Kachale
Cc: Adamson S. Muula; bwalo-la-aphunzitsi; <MALAW...@groupspaces.com>; Paliani; NYAS...@LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG; civsoc-mw
Subject: Re: [Malawitalk] RE: [BwalolaAphunzitsi] The Mwanza Four
Achimwene,
You write: No wonder he suffered heart attack when he was no longer Health Minister under Bingu while in an official car, etc.
Is this a reference to the former Head Prefect at Dedza High School Dr Moses Chirambo? (I was his Deputy). If so, you need to correct this sentence. Dr Chirambo died on the operating table during prostate cancer surgery in South Africa after he was retired as Health Minister by Bingu. Here is the link announcing his death by a fellow Malawian doctor :
LN
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Cuthbert Kachale
Yes, he came from Chozoli, barely 8 Km from Rumphi Boma. His elder brother, who is a Sib-Chief, allayed fears that it was Bingu’s action of relieving of his post while I on the road in a ministerial Benz. At first it was thought that the Sub-Chief was just diplomatic. Anyway I ment the Sub Chief in the company of Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe in March 2013. We didn’t talk about it.
Yes, Bingu was wrongly accused. This indeed did cause some regional polarization at that time.
Yes, two years campaigning, People in the north are very difficult to convince. One of their major weaknesses is that they tend to be trendy and sometimes fall head over heels with the times. Imagine somewhere after Kasungu Boma as one enters the north. There was a poster which read like: “Welcome to the North, the Headquarters of DPP.
They made Ngwazis, out of men they regretted after.
Mzee.
From: Louis Nthenda [mailto:louisn...@gmail.com]
Sent: Saturday, May 21, 2016 10:53 PM
To: Cuthbert Kachale
Cc: Adamson S. Muula; bwalo-la-aphunzitsi; <MALAW...@groupspaces.com>; Paliani; NYAS...@LISTSERV.ICORS.ORG; civsoc-mw
Subject: Re: [Malawitalk] RE: [BwalolaAphunzitsi] The Mwanza Four
Achimwene,
There was so much misinformation about the cause and circumstances of his death and yet accurate information was available immediately the day after his death. Claims that he had died of a heart attack because he had been "sacked" were rife and had been manufactured as a political stick to beat Bingu with. It was one of those times when regionalism was at its height. I don't know whether he was sacked or had asked to be relieved of his duties to attend to his prostate cancer. I was in communication with him at the time but there was not much time between his leaving the Ministry and his flight to RSA for prostate surgery for us to exchange news. He must have known of his cancer for a very long time and been planning for it because prostate cancer doesn't happen suddenly.
In August 2009 he had written me about his dedication to his new political career. He wrote:
"Indeed from June 2007 until 19 May 2009 I was campaining under DPP in Rumphi Central Constituency where I won with a landslide. I agree with you that it is our time to contribute to the National issues. "
TWO years campaigning !!!
LN