The Autumn of the Patriarchs in Malawi

by planetparker

Malawi, like many countries in Africa, has a predominantly young population, yet the prospects of the country’s youth have been blighted since independence by the actions of old men.

 The country’s first president, Dr Hastings Banda was educated by missionaries from the Church of Scotland at the beginning of the twentieth century. He qualified as a doctor in the United States before taking up the role of a GP in England and Scotland. He left for the Gold Coast after impregnating his secretary, a married woman, whom he refused to marry. This did not stop him being hailed by those seeking an end to colonialism in his native Nyasaland as the territory’s natural leader, and so he returned home after an absence of more than forty years. On Nyasaland gaining its independence in 1964 he became the first president of the newly independent Malawi – he even chose its name. 

 Already in his late 60s (though he never knew quite how old he was), he soon showed autocratic symptoms. The country was declared a one party state with Banda as president for life; membership of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) became mandatory for all citizens. Former friends of Banda were declared enemies and were imprisoned or died in traffic accident; alternatively they were chased around the world by Banda’s secret police, if they managed to get out of the country alive. The media was censored, mail was opened and telephones tapped. The country was criss-crossed by a network of spies who denounced people as critics of the government, often in pursuit of personal grudges. As Banda aged his actions became more eccentric. He banned television from the country as an immoral influence, while he sponsored the teaching of Latin and Greek in elite educational institutions, while ignoring local languages such as his own ChiChewa which he had forgotten. As an elder of the Church of Scotland he instituted a dress code for all citizens: women were forbidden to wear miniskirts or trouser suits, while men could not sport beards, long hair or wear flared trousers. (No one seems to know what he thought about kilts.) His own form of attire was equally unfashionable, preferring conservative three-piece suits, as well as carrying and freely brandishing a flywhisk made from a lion’s tale. He never married but instead cultivated a very close relationship with a lady called Cecilia Kadzamira who was rewarded with the title of “official hostess”.

 Throughout his reign Banda dipped freely into the country’s financial resources, siphoning off an estimated $20m. By the 1990s Malawi’s people had had enough and riots broke out, culminating in Banda agreeing to allow other political parties, as well as rival candidates in presidential elections. When Malawi’s people had a chance to vote against him in 1994 they took it with vengeance, and he was roundly defeated, being succeeded by Bakili Muluzi. He died in 1997, well into his ‘90s.

The present president of Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika, is 77 – a little younger than Banda. He tried to paint himself as a long-time opponent and victim of Banda, forced to flee his homeland and change his name to avoid detection by the dictator’s goons. In truth he never was an opponent of Banda and benefited from his largesse, receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Economics in India with the financial support of Banda’s government. He then returned to Malawi, becoming a very prominent member of Banda’s civil service.

Since coming to power in 2004 he has sought to rehabilitate Banda’s reputation. Buildings which had originally carried the moniker of the old dictator, but which had been renamed by Muluzi, reverted to their original names.

His presidency began so well. Even though he was Muluzi’s handpicked successor, he immediately launched a campaign against corruption under Muluzi But his actions have started to show those telltale signs of autocracy, followed by eccentricity, blending into grotesque absurdity. Critics within his government, including two vice presidents, have been dismissed. His defence of his sacking of vice president Joyce Banda demonstrates a degree of megalomania.

… When God noted that Lucifer was being bigheaded, he did not hesitate to evict him from the Heavenly Government. am not the first to fire someone, it started in heaven. So before you start faulting me for being intolerant because I have sacked Joyce Banda… fault God for sacking Lucifer from heaven.”

 The journalist Farai Sevenzo comments on the BBC World Service news site: “Even Malawi’s great dictator Banda was not given to such analogies; and every missionary who ever trod the warm heart of Africa must be doing somersaults in their graves at a job half-done in Bible lessons and humility”.

Opponents are routinely called “ enemies of the people”  and some have been thrown into jail. He spent £20m of the State’s money on a private jet, causing a currency crisis. There have also been signs of erratic behaviour, including his claims that he could not sleep any more in the State mansion because he saw ghosts there who were not being very nice to him. (He should get the Most Haunted team to take a look – I wonder what Derek Acorra might say?)

Some might put this behaviour down to the loss of his wife to breast cancer in 2009. However, Mutharika was not to remain single for long, marrying his tourism minister (25 years’ his junior) in a lavish ceremony paid for by the state.

At present Mutharika is losing friends faster than he is making them. The UK has cut its development aid program, as well as expelling the Malawian High Commissioner in a tit-for-tat move following Mutharika’s expulsion of the British envoy, who, in a leaked memo had referred to the president as autocratic. His invitation to the royal wedding was even withdrawn – a cruel blow, considering some of the riffraff who were there, but I’m sure he’s got the DVD  The economy is in a mess with the shortage of foreign currency leading to long queues for petrol, as well as significant food shortages. Riots have broken out, first in the northern city of Mzuzi, and then spreading to the capital Lilongwe and the largest city, Blantyre. At least 18 people have died in Mzuzi and their bodies have been buried in a mass grave. While Mutharika speaks of his willingness to talk to the opposition, it is only on his terms.

What is the future for this country? Presidential elections are scheduled for 2014 when Mutharika will be 80. He is not standing, but he plans to keep the job in the family, having paved the way for his brother Peter, a former Law professor in an American university, to fill his shoes. He has already been appointed a cabinet minister.  He is currently aged 71. Things are likely to disimprove still more before they improve.