Speech to the National Assembly (in Zomba) Made by Member of Parliament (MP) for Port Herald (Nsanje) North, Hon. Gwanda Chakuamba on the 8th of September 1964.
It is indeed very shocking and very disappointing and undoubtedly very, very disgracing. Perhaps my honorable colleagues will express themselves without equivocation in this unfortunate time in the history of our new nation. But I should say this that if I fail to express myself in this House, I shall supplement or fulfill my objectives by deeds outside this house. (Applause).
Mr. Speaker may you excuse me if I fall victim today to verbosity. This may be so because of the tragic situation that now exists in our country. A situation that has been very deliberately formulated by power-hungry maniacs; a situation that has deliberately been formulated by idiots who don’t know what they are talking about. These hypocrites…These traitors Mr. Speaker, used to tell us that whenever they go abroad they are respected because of the Ngwazi, but the same traitors when they go abroad go and project themselves as Deputy Ministers, Deputy Presidents of the Malawi Congress Party, these traitors now have a mission outside this country to preach to the people outside the boarders of this country the gospel, have been engaged in suppressing activities. They have been collaborating with traitors of fellow African countries in order to achieve their personal ambition.
Mr. Speakers, Iam going to single out one person in this whole collection because if I do so I will simplify the whole problem to me, and I think to my very honorable colleagues. Just imagine, Mr. Speaker, this man, Kanyama Chiume, Publicity Secretary of Malawi Congress Party, and just a few hours ago Minister of External Affairs, told himself and projected himself out of this country as deputy Prime Minister of the state of Malawi (Interjection: shame!). Just imagine Mr. Speaker, this man, Kanyama Chiume in the Pan African circles and international campuses against the Prime Minister Ngwazi Kamuzu Banda. His policy on external affairs, his policy on foreign affairs-just imagine, a man who preaches a gospel of unity, loyalty to the Ngwazi, obedience to the Ngwazi and discipline. Just imagine, Mr. Speaker, that this man Kanyama Chiume, in this House led us singing “Zonse Zimene za Kamuzu Banda.” In this house and attending to our self government this man, Kanyama Chiume, in this house told us there would be biblical war in Heaven between Lucifer and God Almighty. He told us in this House. I think that is what he is planning. He even fought against Kamuzu. He meant it; he knew what he was talking about. Now we are not surprised; we are not at all surprised. But he must also know one thing, that when Lucifer did it he met his necessary end. He was thrown down on earth, and here he is with us, but this earth itself is not Heaven. I don’t know where he is going to be thrown out. (Applause).
…It is indeed very disgraceful. People imbued with selfish goals have forced him to escort this course of action. People inherent with selfish characteristics and personal aggrandizement of power have forced him to disgrace for a while from his nation building task. These people imbued with malice have forced us to open a new chapter in the history of our nation. The steady pace of progress in the economic and social spheres has been deliberately halted by these people. I must say, and I must repeat, that the Honorable member referred to has got an account to settle with the people I represent. If it was his intention to make our history, the history of this country black, I must say here and now, we are prepared to make the devil black so that his origin is not traced. They will leave to regret the consequences of their actions as Lucifer now regrets on his earth awaiting his doom.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, I would like to address these remarks to the Ngwazi. With your permission, I want to say to the Ngwazi we still love him. (Loud applause). How many times Ngwazi do you want us to assure you of our unquestionable loyalty to you? How many times Ngwazi do you want us to assure you of our unquestionable confidence in you? How many times I ask? This motion of no confidence in you, your Government, and your leadership of the Malawi Congress Party should be the last motion to be debated in this House. Let this House no more debate motions of this sort. It is a very disgracing motion. Very wide powers were given to you; Ngwazi, by the four million people at a conference in Nkata in 1958, and very unlimited power were also given to you by the four million people of this country at their conference in Nkhotakota in 1960. These people who have disgraced us in the eyes of the world are no more fit to be members of the mighty Malawi Congress Party. They forfeited that privilege to be members of that Central Executive. Their continued presence in that Central Executive will not be to the interest of the country. It will not be to the interest of people that love you with their entire mind and their hearts. It will be on top of that, a gross embarrassment to you and the party. Ngwazi we ask you, we ask you to expel them from the membership of the Central Executive and from the membership of the Malawi Congress Party. Let them go out and challenge you openly and instead of being inside and challenging you from within; let them go out and form their own party so that we can be able to meet them as opponents in the opposite camps. If we meet as opponents within, it will be more dangerous and more damaging to the cause that we have been fighting for a long time. They have grossly disappointed us; they have grossly disgraced us; they deserve any sort of punishment and you know best what sort of punishment it will be. We are not going to dictate to you what sort of punishment befits them but I still contend that the word conspirators, the word traitors, is the most appropriate word to use.
Mr. Speaker, Sir, iam compelled by circumstances every day to ask my fellow honorable members to have a look into our country’s constitution. It is quite clear that the provisions are inadequate to deal with critical situations like this. We must have a constitution which will abolish the title of Prime Minister, because the Prime Minister according to our understanding of the word means the first amongst equals and I think that is why there has been this trouble. He has been regarded by the cabinet ministers as the first amongst the equals. Kamuzu is not the first among the equals in this country. He is not and will never be, so that if a constitution is devised to give him unlimited powers, to make absolutely clear that he and he alone, is a supreme in this country, I don’t think there will be any more confusion.
… And lastly I would like to ask my friends to join me. It is a short chorus but I consider it very important. I would like my honorable colleagues to say with me “Down with the traitors, down with the conspirators, down with power hungry maniacs and long live Kamuzu, long live Ngwazi and long live Malawi Congress Party.” (Applause).
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