Celebrating JZU legacy
From President Lazarus Chakwera,Vice-President Saulos Chilima and former president Joyce Banda to family members, government officials and ordinary folks, they all turned up to give a befitting send off to fallen veteran politician John Tembo.
Malawi Square, the open space in the grounds of Umodzi Park that also houses The President Hotel and Bingu International Convention Centre at City Centre, Lilongwe, was the venue. Burial is in Dedza today.
It was ironic that JZU, as Tembo was fondly addressed after initials for his full given names John Zenasi Ungapake, was being celebrated a stone’s throw away from the grave of his political mentor and founding president Hastings Kamuzu Banda.
In their eulogies, speakers, including the President, took turns to heap praises on Tembo’s political career that started in the early 1960s to 2013 when he quit active politics and left the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) mantle to Chakwera who had left the pulpit as Malawi Assemblies of God president to join frontline politics.
Taking his turn, Chakwera said Tembo should have been the country’s president before him, but he was robbed of victory.
Making reference to the Scriptures as narrated by Apostle Paul, he said: “I am not worthy to stand before you as your President because my conviction tells me that the one who was supposed to be your President was John Tembo and today we escort him to his final resting place.”
Chakwera hailed Tembo’s “unshakable allegiance” to MCP, saying he did not compromise his loyalty through thick and thin until his death last week Wednesday aged 91.
He said: “So unshakeable was his allegiance to the party of his choice that he stuck with it when the party was in power and when it was out of power. He stuck with it when it was united and when it was divided.”
In her part, former President Banda, who spoke in vernacular for the most part, said Tembo led a humble and selfless life.
“He was down to earth and loved his people, as a leader and as a teacher,” she said.
As Banda was speaking, John Tembo Junior could be seen wiping tears from his eyes while some MCP women supporters clad in party regalia nodded their heads in agreement with her.
Said Banda: “A leader of a party is supposed to bring people together. John Tembo would open his home and as party supporters, we were able to eat with him. He had the ability to mobilise a good team and build future leaders.”
She further stressed the need for the country to be united and desist from hate, anger and petty politicking, which she said are attributes Tembo resented.
Clad in a black suit and tie and a white shirt, John Tembo Junior, who spoke on behalf of the deceased’s children, wore a brave face, but the grief in his voice was loud enough for everyone to hear, as the tears from his eyes could not be hidden.
Constantly referring to his departed father as ‘bambo’, he said JZU was a mentor and a leader who instilled high moral standards in his children and taught them values such as integrity and dignity as well as respect for elders.
He commended Chakwera, Chilima and his spouse as well as other leaders for being with the family during his father’s illness.
Said Tembo: “He was struggling, but when you came to see him, he said ‘bwana, thank you mwabwera kuzandiona and his parting words with you, Your Excellency, were ‘ndikufuna msonkhano [please organise a rally]. Msonkhano amanenawo ndi uno, amatsanzika [The public rally he referred to is this ceremony, he was bidding farewell].”
Others who spoke, notably former Speaker of the National Assembly Louis Chimango, incumbent Speaker Catherine Gotani Hara, Lilongwe City Centre legislator Alfred Jiya and MCP secretary general Eisenhower Mkaka also hailed Tembo’s legacy.
