For 30 years Malawi suffered under dictator Hastings Kamuzu Banda. Political parties were outlawed. Books such as Jack Mapanje’s Of Chameleons and Gods and George Orwell’s Animal Farm were banned, and anybody found in their possession was bound to be jailed. Heck, we were not even allowed to listen to such an innocuous 1970s Simon and Garfunkel song as “Cecilia”, just because the dictator’s mistress was known by that name. Worse, the affliction known as the Youth League and its twin the Malawi Young Pioneers, could beat, rape, maim, burn houses or even kill all those deemed to be enemies of state.
In 1992, Malawians decided they had had enough of the nonsense. Catholic Bishops initiated the fight with their pastoral letter. Chakufwa Chihana showed up to give a face to the liberation struggle. Bakili Muluzi and others joined in. By 1994 we kicked the dictator into the dustbin of history, and thought we had said bye to oppressive tendencies.
Throughout that time, Peter Mutharika was a lecturer at a private university in the United States, where he benefitted from other people’s democracy. He only came onto the scene after his brother, Bingu wa Mutharika, won the 2004 elections. Of course, he did make a brief showing at the constitutional conference in 1995, where he was one of the resource persons, but by that time the struggle against the dictator was already done and dusted. In essence, therefore, Peter Mutharika came to simply enjoy the fruits of our newfound freedom.
It appears, however, that he is not contented with merely enjoying what others fought for. By unleashing the so-called Youth Cadets on the opposition as he did today in Rumphi, he seems intent on dragging our country back to the days of death and darkness.
We will not let him.
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