For the past two weeks or so, our impeccable, irreplaceable, indomitable, indestructible, incomparable, unshakable and unimpeachable leader of delegation, the Genuine Professor Ms Joyce Befu, MG 66 and Mega-1, is celebrating many dead Malawians, especially Goodall Gondwe.
As her loyal minor colleagues, we get sad when she gets sad; we mourn when she mourns, and we celebrate when she celebrates. That is what loyalty means.
We, that is our leader of delegation and us, celebrate Kaka Henry Chibowa almost three years on. Especially this season. The Football World Cup Season. Those of us who knew Kaka Chibowa will remember him for his unflinching love for sport, especially for football, the game Americans distortedly call soccer. What American sports confusionists call football that one that is played with hands; not feet, most of the time. Their football is rugby of sorts. We wish Kaka were there this year to enjoy the football World Cup in three countries—Mexico, USA and Canada.
Kaka Chibowa was a football administrator for a long time; he participated in unfettered democracy talk and drama alongside the likes of Frank Patani Mwase and Gaston Mwenelupembe for a long time. He managed education institutions for a long time, and, above all, he loved us, his friends and family for a long time.
Kaka, continue to enjoy the realm of “peace” and the comfort of God’s alms. There, in the Kingdom beyond the Eagle Nebula, the Pillars of Creation, remember to extend our earthly greetings to Edward Henderson Chitsulo and his buddy Gray James Mang’anda. Then, greet George Nga Mtafu, Emmie Chanika, and Willie Zingani, the unsung founding combatants for our democracy; this democracy we abuse and accuse.
Thereafter, greet Raphael Tenthani, code-named R10, the journalist par excellence, Ralph Kasambara, and Saulos Klaus Chilima, who was “killed” in mysterious circumstances. Even if you don’t see them, just shout, “Hi guys, art thee jocund? Feel ye irie?” One of them or all of them will welcome you heartily and smilingly. Tell them we are on our way, too.
The very week, the very month and very year Kaka transitioned, heaven gained Goodall, the economist and politician. Goodall did not need politics to be happy and live in opulence but he was cajoled, recruited, forced into it and he stayed there. First, Bakili Muluzi picked him as his or the government’s economic adviser or something akin to that although it is doubtful that his economic advice ever influenced president Muluzi.
Then he joined Bingu wa Mutharika, his fellow Box 48 alumnus. Box 48 was the alias for Dedza Secondary School. Interestingly, Goodall, Bingu, and now we hear, Peter Arthur Mutharika (PAM), were at Dedza Secondary School at the same time as John Zenus Ungapake Tembo, their school prefect. It was interesting to see former schoolmates oppose each other so virulently and call each other unpalatable names. Politics is, indeed, an ass(et).
Many lauded Goodall for keeping the Malawi kwacha steady during his term as minister of finance. But, you know politicians, the same performing Goodall was fired by his president, Bingu, without notice or apology and replaced by a literatus. Trust a politician and build castles in the air.
To prove that he was collosus in the DPP, Goodall’s endorsement of PAM as the only person who can unite the DPP and unseat Lazarus Chakwera was taken seriously and now PAM is the State President because, partly, Goodall cajoled him out of retirement. And we, in the DPP, thank for his wise choice.
We are sure that as he and (ka)Ngwazi Bingu wa Mutharika spend time together, they are reflecting on the Malawi they left behind and why fixing the national currency matters, IMF, World Bank or not.
We liked both Bingu and Goodall because they understood the machinations of the so-called rich world to keep the poor nations poorer and, therefore, in a perpetual status of ‘beggation’ as Peter Tosh used to sing. Creating cyclical poverty makes the biggies of the world happy and their Washington Consensus lender institutions richer and stronger. That is why they don’t want rival international lender institutions; emerging Beijing Consensus.
