Writing in Malawi: Dismantling Authors’ Collective Cross

There are books that give a couple of hours’ pleasure, like fellow-travellers on a journey or fellow-guests at a party, then pass out of our lives forgotten; there are books that satisfy mere curiosity— and die with it; and there are books that influence all our years. We may never reopen them; we may even forget them; but something in them has left its mark somewhere in our brains.”

When author F.L. Lucas introduced his book, ‘Greek Poetry for Every Man’, with the words above, he possibly had no idea that one Malawian would attempt to dilute the meaning of the expression that some books “pass out of our lives [and] are forgotten” by waging a war that would ensure that the books remain etched in our memories.

But this is what Mike Sambalikagwa Mvona, renowned writer, with 11 books to his credit, and Malawi Writers Union president, has set out to do. And he wants to do this not just locally; the world over.

Mvona argues that it is possible to create a world where booklovers no longer treat books as fellow travellers, valuing them for a short while before letting them slip out of memory, and life, forever.

“What we need to do is to value the contribution of authors in society by offering them better incentives than is the case. This will motivate the authors who will, therefore, create memorable works. As things stand, authors are given a raw deal,” says Mvona.

Mvona says, instead of courting happiness, authors live in a world of dissatisfaction.

“It is publishers, as opposed to authors, who are reaping the fruits in Malawi. The creator of the work, the author, is often left frustrated,” says Mvona.

The situation sharply contradicts the picture he had as a youth. As Mvona grew up, he liked Magwegwe Kondowe’s short stories, and thought that being an author in Malawi was as rewarding as being a bank manager.

Among other works, Magwegwe was famous for his short story, ‘The Pot Cracks’.

Had he known, Mvona would have appreciated the fact that the ‘high’ regard accorded to Magwegwe was ‘lower’ to that of the international writer Mvona also liked, Louis L'Amour. L'Amourgained instant fame and success after publishing his first novel, ‘Hondo’, in 1953.

L'Amour was an American author of French ancestry and his books consisted of Western novels, historical fiction, science fiction, nonfiction, as well as poetry and short-story collections. ‘The Walking Drum’, ‘The Collected Short Stories of Louis L'Amour’, ‘Last of the Breed’ are some of his works.

“I just admired the writings of these authors and that was all,” recollects Mvona.

Maybe he took for granted the politics of an art he would later dearly embrace.

Global wings

Just when Mvona’s mind was getting used to the idea that his struggle for improved contract conditions for authors would be limited to the geographical setting of Malawi, the horizons opened up to him.

Roughly one-year-and-five-months ago, Mvona became the Vice Chairperson for the International Authors Forum (IAF), a global organisation which provides a platform where authors’ organisations share information and take action on issues affecting them worldwide.

According to IAF’s website, www.internationalauthors.org, “There is currently no other independent, global organisation representing authors’ interests in copyright and contracts, and in many countries authors are not formally represented at all. By creating a strong worldwide network of authors’ organisations, IAF can strengthen the presence of authors, and the effective representation of their rights on a global scale.”

Its work is premised on Article 27 (2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948. Reads the Article: “Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.”

So powerful is the IAF that, on March 24 this year, it supported U.S. arts associations that complained about one of the US College Art Association’s latest policies.
The organisations, which included the Graphic Artists Guild, National Press Photographers Association, American Photographic Artists, American Society of Media Photographers, Digital Media Licensing Association, and Professional Photographers of America, published a letter raising concerns with the US College Art Association’s ‘Code of Best Practices in Fair Use for the Visual Arts’.
Specifically, the letter questioned findings of a recent study that concluded that “copyright acts primarily as a barrier, encouraging self-censorship; and that artists are in an adversarial relationship with the marketplace”.
The organisations faulted the study findings by observing that the study failed to address commercial applications of fair use made by museums and non-profit organisations in the creation of objects for sale.
They then warned that, “Without participation from all of the stakeholders in the visual arts community there can be no consensus, let alone a set of “Best Practices in Fair Use for the Visual Arts”.

 Mvona says he treats his election into the global body as an opportunity to advance the interests of writers in developing countries.

Mvona says he is taking advantage of the fact that IAF is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organisation as well as the International Reprographic Rights Organisation to advance his agenda. 

“I was elected as Vice Chairperson for two reasons: To focus on the African continent and developing countries; and to try to bring into the basket a lot of developed and least developed countries.

“So far, I have been ensuring that authors’ rights are adhered to in contracts. My recently-published book, ‘A Guide to Writers and Artists’ Contracts’ is part of the efforts to ensure that the field is leveled. We want an end to the situation where publishers have more say than authors. Publishers are generating funds on our shoulders,” says Mvona.

Mvona’s plea to the world

While a one-year-and-five-months-old baby may be deemed too young to muster international languages, ‘international baby’ Mvona seems to be an exception.

According to the IAF website, http://internationalauthors.org, Mvona highlighted the challenges facing African authors to an international audience in Seoul, South Korea, on October 29, 2014 in a presentation titled ‘Challenges Affecting Authors in Africa’.

Reads part of the presentation: “Publishers’ twist from Creative works to Textbooks. Their focus and eyes have turned to text-book publishing as they regard this field as an already available profit-making market that can off-set their printing cost easily as well as making huge profits once drafted into a school curriculum. With the already few publishing houses, very few novels are published and most young writers fail to clinch a publishing contract.  Hence many self-published books are on the market, many of which lack credibility.

“Due to a lack in [sic] publishers for fiction in Africa, most African novels are being published in either Europe or the United States of America. Most of these books are sold in those countries and to make them available in their own countries, the authors are asked to purchase or order them but due to financial challenges they usually fail to do so.

 “There is need to harmonise relations between publishers and writers in order to bridge the gap between these two parties. Publishers need to respect the role of an author as the engine or the owner of the intellectual property by, among other things, honouring the annual disbursement of royalties, adhering to the written contract and promotion of the author’s work.”

Stock-taking

However, Mvona admits that being the IAF Vice Chairperson has not instantly turned a frustrating situation into a hopeful one.

“Of course, authors would expect that I should influence positive change and reverse the negative situation we are in immediately, but these things take some time. I, therefore, know that local authors are yet to feel the positive impact of my work.

“But I am doing something. I want to see an end to a scenario where authors do not see the contracts they are supposed to be party to. How does one sign a contract without seeing it? These things (success stories) will not be registered overnight, though,” says Mvona.

Will Mvona fall into the pit of religious prophets: Revered outside, forsaken at home? His tenure of office is the judge!

Local Theatre Groups Shun Local Adaptations

It is not often that actors, bursting with unbridled energy, decide to take on the modern world tooling an old act— especially when every modern producer and director’s goal is to take on the world and establish a new order.

However, as if taking one step backward in order to mobilise a giant sprint forward, Zangaphee Chimombo has done just that. Chimombo has created a Chichewa version of Steve Chimombo’s play, ‘The Rainmaker’. The Chichewa version is titled ‘M’matsakamula’.

The development comes at a time when adapting foreign plays has become an in-thing in Malawi, and gives rise to the question: Is Malawi ready to adapt local English plays into Chichewa?

National Theatre Association of Malawi (NTAM) president, Manasseh Chisiza, says local theatre groups and playwrights have never expressed reservations over the idea of adapting English plays written by Malawians, but the challenge has been funding.

“There is no shortage of characters on which to peg plays in Malawi literature but the cost of producing plays that serve as adaptations of our literature is high. This is why a number of theatre groups prefer to adapt foreign plays,” says Chisiza.

Chisiza adds that some local playwrights have fallen into the habit of adapting foreign plays because of the availability of financiers.

“Organisations that engage local theatre groups in adapting foreign plays fund the exercise and, so, local theatre groups lose little, in terms of finances, when they adapt such plays. This is the reason we have witnessed a number of groups adopting the practice,” says Chisiza.

Local is lekker 

As if setting the stage for local adaptations, Chancellor College Travelling Theatre on Thursday premiered ‘M’matsakamula’, one of the greatest works of Professor Chimombo the writer, poet, editor and teacher. So good was he at his game that his 1988 Napolo Poems earned him an honourable mention for the Noma Award for Publishing in Africa.

Of late, the country has embraced the practice of adapting foreign plays. One of the local theatre groups that have mastered the art is Nanzikambe Arts, which has adapted plays such as La storia della tigre [‘The Story of the Tiger’- a play authored by the 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature winner, Italian Dario Fo], African Romeo and Juliet, Hendrik Ibsen's Doll's House adaption, Breaking the Pot, among others. In fact, since its inception in 2003, Nanzikambe Arts has done adaptations of several foreign plays. 

Another theatre grouping is Solomonic Peacocks, which once staged the adaptation of the French play L’ecole des femme (School of Wives) during the finals of the French Drama Schools Competition.  

Cultural erosion

Malawi Writers Union (Mawu) president, Sambalikagwa Mvona, says he has always been surprised that local playwrights prefer to adapt foreign plays instead of utilising the vast sea of literary material available locally.

Mvona says local writers have published books that tackle various issues, suggesting that playwrights could tap from them.

“The problem with adapting foreign plays is that we are diluting our culture. We are also losing out on the opportunity to advertise our culture through plays because what we are doing is exposing foreign culture,” says Mvona.

However, Solomonic Peacocks director, MacArthur Matukuta, says weaving the writings of a local author into a play is not as easy as others suggest.

“One cannot adapt a play without having an agreement with the author because there are copyright issues involved, and I think this is one of the factors that have contributed to the country having very few adaptations of local plays,” says Matukuta.

Matukuta, who acknowledges that funding is another challenge, hopes that the Cultural Policy may help solve some of the challenges facing theatre groups.

He says local playwrights may find it easy to adapt local plays and other literature works into plays by making use of the Cultural Policy’s funding facility.

Otherwise, he does not see local playwrights falling head over heels with the practice of adapting literary materials into plays.

Hope

But Chisiza suggests that all is not lost, but throws the ball into government’s court. Chisiza says the task of ensuring that theatre groups adapt scenes and characters found in local literature into plays hinges on the availability of funding, both public and private.

“In other countries, they have a financing facility for the arts sector. This is why we are pinning our hopes on the cultural policy. That is why we need the Cultural Policy because, without it, we will only depend on political will and experience has shown that there is no political will,” says Chisiza.

He adds: “Otherwise, we have a lot of legends; a lot of literature to be acted upon.”

Matukuta concurs with Chisiza. He says theatre groups fight against countless odds to stay afloat, a development that forces them to shun adaptations of plays from local literature sources.

Says Matukuta: “To begin with, theatre groups have to contend with the fact that they are, virtually, on their own, and that their survival hinges on them generating funds. Secondly, actors themselves have to think of ways of sustaining themselves because the industry has not reached a stage where it can support an individual 100 percent. Definitely, adapting local plays is out of the question because of the expenses involved.

“In addition, there are legal issues to contend with. You cannot just adapt a play published in a book by a local author and hope that you will get everything for free. Agreements have to be made and this is expensive and time-consuming. Again, some of the authors of books that may offer fertile ground for (play) adaptations are not alive, and that is another complication.”

Otherwise, Matukuta sees a fertile ground for adaptations in local literature.

Service Charters: The Road to Accountability

Ruth Kapwepwe, a 27-year-old mother of two from the area of Traditional Authority Ndindi in Salima, is old enough to know that the world has always had problems: Sometimes forgotten, but always there somewhere.

She says this appreciation of problems has helped her endure challenges she encounters both in her private life and public life such as the delivery of public services.

“Even in families, marriage counsellors encourage us to endure instead of rushing to them whenever we face challenges,” says Kapwepwe, now a resident of Chiphala, T/A Kalonga. In Salima.

It, therefore, came as a surprise when officials from the Malawi Human Rights Resource Centre (MHRRC) introduced the concept of service charters, aimed at improving the provision of public services, six years ago.

The Salima Service Charter saw the Salima District Assembly (SDA) with support from MHRRC implementing a pilot phase on District Level Service Charter with the aim of improving public service delivery in 2009. The project was rolled out in T/As Mwanza, Ndindi and Bibi Kulunda.

In a bid to ensure effectiveness, the District Assembly courted journalists with the goal of empowering community members to know what standards to expect from the service providers and make demands accordingly. A media taskforce was thus put in place.

Times Group’s Business Editor, Thom Khanje, was elected to chair the taskforce, which was mandated to assist in the promotion of the formulated Service Charters as well as initiate an issue-based advocacy campaign premised on the charters.

Khanje says the task force publicised successes and challenges registered in the course of implementing the Salima Service Charter.

“We were also actively involved in the drafting of service charters between some public offices in Salima and their community beneficiaries,” says Khanje, adding:.

“A charter helps public institutions in creating effective conditions for the proper functioning of the public service and ensure that public services are available, accessible and acceptable,” says Khanje.

Return of the charters

Following the success of the Salima Service Charter, The National Initiative for Civic Education (Nice) in partnership with MHRRC have embarked on a three-year pilot service charter project in a quest “to improve public service and strengthen the inclusion of the public in service delivery by consolidating the commitment of the government to ensure that basic public services are provided in accordance with well-known, transparent, accountable and realistic standards and are accessible and acceptable to all people in Malawi”.

The project will be implemented in five districts namely Chitipa, Mchinji, Nkhotakota, Mwanza and Mulanje. The project will be implemented in phases.

Nice executive director, Ollen Mwalubunju, is optimistic that the initiative would promote accountability in the provision of public services.

“There is need to pass information to people on why service charters are important in order to enhance service delivery, promote the participation of rights holders (users) and to ensure that people are holding duty-bearers accountable,” says Mwalubunju.

Mwalubunju adds that for service charters to be meaningful in the Malawian context, service users, also known as rights holders, should own the services. He says all sectors in national development, be it in sports, the arts and business industries, can adopt the concept if the quality of services delivered is to improve.

MHRRC director, Desmond Kaunda, concurs, but adds that media practitioners are equally important in the provision of public services.

Kaunda says service charters, which he describes as documents developed by service sectors in consultation with staff and citizens setting out the standards of services that citizens can expect, help service providers gauge the expectations of rights holders while the rights holders, on their part, know what to expect from service providers.

“This empowers the rights holders and helps them hold service providers accountable. When things are not going according to plan, the rights holders can take appropriate action,” says Kaunda.

However, gender activist Emma Kaliya warns that service charters may not bring positive results if gender issues are thrown out of the window. She observes that members of some genders often bear the brunt of service neglect.

“Therefore, conducting a gender analysis helps service providers design effective, target specific equitable programmes and projects. Most often, if you visit health facilities, you rarely see men taking care of fellow men. The same applies to the sector of water and sanitation as most users of water are women. Gender balance is, therefore, very important,” says Kaliya.

The case for service charters

The Malawi government is a signatory to the African Public Service Charter, which calls for all countries in the African Union the implement and adopt Service Charters. As part of its commitment, Malawi celebrated the Africa Public Service day, which is designated in the African Public Service Charter, in 2008.

During the celebration, the then President, the late Bingu Wa Mutharika, announced that the government had plans to introduce Public Service Charters as an instrument for raising quality, effectiveness, efficiency, and responsiveness at all levels of public administration and service delivery.

Following the celebration, the Office of the President and Cabinet initiated the formulation of the Malawi Public Service Charter and the Malawi Public Service Code of Ethics and Conduct as “cornerstones of the African Public Service Charter Framework”.

Simultaneously, the government initiated a review of the Malawi Public Service Regulation.

The Malawi Public Service Charter was launched in 2009 “as a commitment to provide best possible service standards to the people of Malawi”.

The charter is a framework designed to introduce service charters in all public institutions to guide them in creating “effective conditions for the proper functioning of the public service and ensure that public services are available, accessible and acceptable”.

Its moto is to achieve a “highly motivated, productive, professional and results-oriented public service that thrives on accountability, honesty, impartiality, loyalty, integrity, justice, objectivity, selflessness, transparency and excellence”.

Khanje says the media have a crucial role to play in ensuring that players meet their obligations.

“The media can be used in diverse applications to accelerate information dissemination, improve efficiency of public services, increase the transparency and accountability of government administration, to reduce corruption, and facilitate citizen participation in local governance.

“The media can help increase the efficiency, speed, and transparency in delivery of services and, on the other hand, assist in the generation and dissemination of information and knowledge on public service delivery,” says Khanje.

All these steps are premised on the idea that, while challenges shall always be present— sometimes forgotten, but always there somewhere— rights holders expectations should, at least, be managed.

Costumes by Chance or Choice?

Every moment, ranging from the storyline to the costume, should essentially be a tiny pearl of good, coordinated taste.

Indeed, while stage-acting is supposed to be the dish the entire acting meal builds toward, every aspect in the production stage should be treated as vital.

However, this seems not to be the case in local theatre circles. As if bearing testimony to the fact that the country’s theatre industry is going through its gawky moment of adolescence, costume issues seem to be swept under the carpet, a reminder, yet again, that costume is not on the list of Malawi’s most pressing national challenges!

Consequently, supported neither by precedent nor creative improvisation, costume preferences continue to hinge on trial and error in Malawi’s theatre industry. So used is the audience to the apparent neglect of professional costume that it often does not show any hint of discontentment, save for the fact that lips of audience members seem to tremble with the ecstasy of anticipated laughter.

So long as the production crew dishes out a disciplined performance, it is as if the mind of the Malawian theatre-lover is stacked against costume designers on one hand while local production crews, on the other hand, seem not to be in the mood to lose themselves in costume issues.

Ideal world

But, in an ideal situation, is this normal?

University of Malawi (Unima) Drama lecturer, Smith Likongwe, says costume plays a crucial role in professional theatre.

“In professional theatre circles, there are special costume designers and costume makers. These are often hired part–time to fit specific productions so that they may also be available to other theatre companies. Another option in professional circles is the existence of agencies with costumes for hire.

“These agencies are often attached to theatre houses and may be owned by specific theatre companies. This is where relevant costumes are rented out for the duration of a run of a production, say, one month. There are specially designed costumes that are often required such as men’s suits, police, doctors and nurses uniforms and others,” observes Likongwe. 

Seasoned actor, Mkwachi Mhango, echoes Likongwe’s sentiments.

Mkwachi, who has starred for Nanzikambe Arts and performed in countries such as Britain, says costume is an integral part of theatre worldwide, but Malawi seems not ready to embrace the specialist costume designer’s role.

“With my experience in the United Kingdom, I can say that our friends understand that costume plays a critical role in performing arts.  Before production, they do check on costume and damaged costume is promptly replaced. You have costume specialists. So serious are they that you even have two or three sets of costume. Performers also have professional tailors who take all the measurements in the course of the production to ensure that the costume meets an individual performer’s specifications,” says Mkwachi.

Mkwachi adds: “Actually, production crews include the Technical Manager, who is responsible for issues such as sound; Costume Manager, who is in charge of costume; Stage Manager, who oversees costume arrangements on stage and works hand in hand with the costume manager, among others. The objective is to ensure a coordinated and professional production.”

However, Mkwachi observes that this is not the case in Malawi. He says local media practitioners have played a key role in perpetuating perceptions that costume is peripheral in theatrical performances.

“In Malawi, media practitioners think that theatre is kuvala zigamba [spotting rags], hence most people overlook the role of costume and I think the Zigamba [rags’ costume] mentality has played a part in this. Why should we always portray poverty in our productions? Does life in Malawi revolve around poverty?” wonders Mkwachi.

“Again, issues of costume, wardrobe, and stage management are not taken seriously in Malawi. Outside the country, everyone [including costume designers] understand their part but, in Malawi, most people don’t engage designers,” adds Mkwachi.

This is a challenge that has not escaped the attention of Solomonic Peacocks’ director, McArthur Matukuta.  

“We need to have costume designers but this is not the case at the moment. We need people with the technical know-how but there is a gap at the moment. The positive thing about specialist costume designers is that they know where to get the materials, and how to get them. Every production requires tailor-made costume materials and that’s where they become handy,” says Matukuta.

Matukuta attributes current challenges to the lack of institutions specialising in the provision of education services on costume while meeting the demand for costume materials.

Indeed, there have been suggestions that lack of specialist costume specialists [individuals and institutions] in Malawi has also negatively affected the film industry. For example, award winning filmmaker Shemu Joyah is said to have compromised on costume in his award-winning film despite hiring costume experts from Zimbabwe.

 “The problem is that there is no institution that provides education on costume. In Malawi, decisions on costume are made by the director of the production. So, we are not doing very well in this regard,” says Matukuta.

Searching for the costume designer’s place

Meanwhile, experts have expressed different views on the issue of the costume specialist’s place in local theatre.

Likongwe suggests, for instance, that, in order to survive, the costume specialists should not deposit their egg in the solitary nest of theatre.

Observes Likongwe: “The costume designer may not yet have a place in Malawian theatre unless they have other non-theatre related design-work to do. This is simply because the field is not big at the moment and the general economic situation in the country is not good enough. We should, however, be going in the direction where costume designers find a place in the theatre industry.

“In Malawi there may not be costume specialists but there are certainly people that have been hired to design and make costumes at appropriate times. This is in rare cases though. Most groups just look for what is available within their physical and economic reach.”
He adds that, on their part, institutions of higher learning such as Chancellor College— a constituent college of Unima—incorporate aspects of costume.
 “In drama programmes, we deal with costume design in the Directing courses. [But] There is no stand-alone course on costume design. We would have to work with colleagues from the Fine Art section of the Department of Fine and Performing Arts or work with the Department of Human Ecology. 
“For example, I recently had one of my classes design masks that have been used in two of our most recent productions namely Tax Abortion and M’matsakamula. These had to be done with the assistance of colleagues in the Fine Art Section. I teach the Directing Course, among others, but had to ask Eva Chikabadwa from the Fine Art Section to deal with the practical aspect of mask-making in my course,” says Likongwe, adding:

“I am simply saying that the theatre industry is big and it needs other artisans like sculptors, painters, make-up artists, carpenters, tailors, electricians and others. So, yes, we cover the issue of costume design at Chancellor College. It is not outside the realm of theatre although it may be outside the scope of the actor.”

On his part, Mkwachi advises theatre groups to emulate the example of Nanzikambe Arts, which could be said to be the leading theatre group when it comes to spotting costume.

“Nanzikambe Arts might have benefitted from staging adaptations because costume issues are taken seriously there. At Nanzikambe, without which some of us would not have cultivated the knowledge we have, there are shelves of costumes while in other groups actors are just told their part and told to find the appropriate costume.

“Nanzikambe even has theatre money. This is not real money but plastic money which looks like the real Kwacha. We have special chemicals that are used on the stage when, in Malawi, actors use chalk, which is very dangerous. Chalk is bad”.

Mkwachi says this means prioritising costume is not a far-fetched dream for Malawi.

Matukuta cannot agree less.

“The industry needs costume specialists. Otherwise, our productions will remain compromised, costume-wise, because it’s very difficult [for laypersons] to decide on issues of costume. The costume institution should be a stand-alone organisation and should not be attached to any group. Such institutions are always stand-alone entities, after all,” says Matukuta.

Success will, however, largely depend on how theatre groups carry themselves. Sometimes, it could be argued, there is a lack of sympathy for the ‘troubled’ theatre groups due to the actors’ pretention that everything is okay in their usual unduly boisterous fashion.

Melusi Khumalo’s Love-Hate Romance with Music

Once the rosy fingers of music crept through Zimbabwean musician Melusi Khumalo’s mind in 1987, turning back has not been an option.

However, Khumalo soon realised that his mind had escaped into a world where awkwardness in terms of which genre to choose often forced artists to abandon their preferred type of music for the most popular genre in a bid to sail with the public winds.

So, pumped up with the frustration of failure to record his songs, the gangly musician was, at some point, forced to call it quits—in much the same way as Lucius Banda has revealed that he contemplated quitting music due to piracy.

These are some of the issues the renowned international artist shared with Weekender in an exclusive interview after his tour of Malawi. The musician, who travelled all the way from Botswana to perform in the country last week, entertained people during a night dubbed ‘A Night of Classical Afro Jazz, Rock and Reggae’.

Khumalo’s journey
Like most Malawians, Khumalo traces his music career to his involvement with the church.
“My music was nurtured through the Baptist Church and, once I ventured into professional music in 1987, I became so passionate about it that I have never looked back,” says Khumalo.
However, his most cherished moment came in 1987 when he composed the single ‘Khumbula’.
“I was happy because I played alongside my four sisters. It was amazing in the 1980s, with the lack of infrastructure, to make a song and sing it. I, therefore, decided to record it,” he says.
But interest does not always breed success, as Khumalo would learn after attempting to record an album in the early 1980s.
Khumalo points out that his initial efforts were frustrated by the lack of infrastructure, as the music scene was characterised by lack of recording studios. The development was not different from Malawi in the sense that, in Malawi, this was the era when musicians such as Allan Namoko, Michael Yekha, among others, had to rely on the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation to record their songs.
 “I started recording with a studio in Zimbabwe but I was let down by infrastructure. People may not believe this but I quit music at one point and concentrated on church activities until 2011,” confesses Khumalo.

Early hurdles
But lack of infrastructure was not the only challenge. He was also confronted with the dilemma of either sticking to the genre he had always admired or adopting ‘Sungura’,   a genre that rose to prominence during the era of veteran Zimbabwean musicians such as Alex Macheso and Leonard Dembo.
“Sungura was the most famous genre at the time and Leonard Dembo was the hit boy of the moment. The guy [Macheso] was at his peak and music lovers advised me to ‘Make it like that guy’ and this was a source of frustration for me. I did not want to follow in the footsteps of the hit boys; I wanted to create a niche for myself,” says Khumalo.
He had to seek inspiration in influential foreign musicians and South African musician, Jabu Khanyili, proved to be that source. Khumalo says he drew lessons from Khanyili and his [Khanyili’s] music in-roads inspired him.

Rejuvenation
“After taking a break from music in the 1980s, in part because I was frustrated that I could not record my songs whenever I wanted to, I received revelation that ‘God has got something to cultivate through you’ and that’s when I got into active music again.
“I have got stacks of music; I am just pulling the tracks I like and recording them. I still love music and I have taught my two boys how to play music. My son ‘Methembe’ is specifically enthusiastic. I often play acoustic music,” says Khumalo.
Some of his remarkable songs, both in Zimbabwe and on the international scene, include the Shona hit ‘Mambo Jesu’ and ‘Musandire’—which discourages people from showing off and implores them to praise God for what they have.
“What I am actually saying is that we do not have to despise people like street kids, albinos. Those people did not choose to be in that situation and some of them can’t correct the situation. They have got rights, too. The song became so popular that I did it in three languages: Bemba, Ndebere and Bemba,” he says.
His other international hits are ‘Uthando’—which he performed in Malawi last Friday— and ‘Kwazekwakuhle’, a song of hope as it encourages the down-trodden to keep their heads high.

Challenges in Africa
However, Khumalo observes that the Southern Africa Development Community (Sadc) musician faces a tall order in terms of rising above the international music waters due to a number of factors.
“The first challenge has to do with infrastructure. We are still starved of infrastructure. We will be squeezed because we have no tools and infrastructure. The reason the West will always beat us is that they have the equipment and infrastructure,” says Khumalo.
He adds: “Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe: We are in the same boat. South Africa is more advanced. So, we need infrastructure and facilities and brains. We need brains to nurture the talent and the infrastructure to support it.”

Gospel versus secular musician
The divide between a secular and Gospel musicians is so pronounced in Malawi that the two artistes live in two different worlds.
For Khumalo, however, there should, really, be no such divisions.
“My music cuts across both [worlds]. In the end, all lyrics have to do with Jesus Christ. My philosophy is, ‘Do well, and do it with all your heart’,” he says, and adds:
“There is need to strike a balance between Christian life and everyday life. The first thing should be putting Christian values first. That’s why I don’t sleep around [with other women]. I have been married to Nkosinomsa Khumalo since December 7, 1994 and I am dedicated to her. I believe in morals.”

Clearing hurdles
Khumalo says the African artist has a chance to make it big internationally, but that success would hinge on clearing the playground.
He says one of the challenges facing the development of music is piracy, a development he says has perpetuated the trend where music is widely regarded as a part-time career in Southern Africa.
Just recently, Balaka-based veteran musician, Lucius Banda, revealed that he was contemplating quitting music because of piracy. His latest album, ‘Thank You’, released three weeks ago, found itself on the music shelves without the artist’s knowledge and consent. They call it piracy!
“It’s sad that musicians such as Lucius Banda are contemplating quitting music due to piracy. The Malawi Government Minister of Arts should do something about it. Piracy is one of the things that, like a Cancer, is eating through the fabric of creativity,” observes Khumalo.
The other task, he suggests, should be the erection of infrastructure and establishment of music schools in a bid to empower African children who fancy a career in music and prepare them for the task of going international with their music.
“We have to break these boundaries because we have a message to share with the world. We just need equipment and accessories to teach music. We need to be intentional about developing music because there is need to have people who are into full-time music,” he says.
As Africa braces for that break-through, however, Khumalo can still look back and afford a smile. After all, it has not been easy, but he has made it this far.
“When I look back at my life, I feel my tears running down my cheeks,” he can afford to say when other musicians—weighed down by the yoke of piracy and an unappreciative international market—can only say, ‘say that once again!’

The Art of Circles: 51 Years of Lost Motivation

Maybe there was a true motivational factor. Maybe the true motivational factor was lost in time because, maybe, July 6, 1964 is such a long time back that nobody remembers what the initial focus was.

But, as Malawians prepare to commemorate 51 years of independence from Britain, the arts industries will likely look back with mixed emotions, appreciating the steps taken to uplift the lives of actors in the industry while ruing lost opportunities.

The unfair part about life is that, while there may be many different paths to success, colouring the feat in a different way, there are not many ways of colouring failure except using dark colours.

One of the hallmarks of the country’s failure to tap from the hidden treasure that is culture has been the failure to develop a Cultural Policy, at least until the coveted blueprint was adopted by the Cabinet. However, there has been negligible progress since Culture Minister Kondwani Nankhumwa became the bearer of the good news.

The government’s half-century wait to adopt the Cultural Policy could be baffling to some international scholars who cannot visualise life outside the cultural parameters that reflect a nation’s collective aspirations.

For example, in a paper titled ‘The Context for Cultural Policy – Old World and New World’, Maria Naimark, Associate Professor at Interstudio State Institute for the Professional Development in Culture in Russia, and Dennis Rich, chairman of the Arts, Entertainment and Media Management Department at Columbia College in the United States, observe that the wheel of national development cannot roll smoothly without culture.

Reads part of their paper: “A nation’s culture mirrors its deepest roots, current state and vision of future. The cultural sphere develops along with national development in general, but there are the fundamentals that never change completely and influence every-day cultural life. Culture is often the result and always the cause for the cultural policy.

“There is a kind of circle: national background— national cultural policy—artistic product [institutions, individuals with their creations] cultural life of the country [which becomes the part of the context and finally – background] - again cultural policy - And any changes, or improvements can only shape, adjust, optimize the long-existing tradition.”

Naimark and Rich also provide a justification for the state’s subvention to arts organisations.

“Put another way, the collective heritage of a nation deserves collective, that is, public or government support. It can also be argued that government funding relieves or at least minimises the pressure on arts institutions to fund-raise. And, unburdened by this distraction, arts agencies and artists are free to pursue artistic endeavor.

“Another very significant argument favouring public funding for the arts is that such funding frees the artist from the pressures of the market place. This way it makes a kind of circle: national background – national cultural policy – artistic product (institutions, individuals with their creations—cultural life of the country— again cultural policy.”
For Malawians, however, the only words they have heard from Culture and Tourism Minister, Kondwani Nankhumwa, are that “This (the adoption of the Cultural Policy) marks the beginning of the creation of a win-win situation.”

Survival mechanisms

But, in the absence of government subvention due to lack of a cultural policy, arts associations have largely relied on external technical and financial support to keep the boat floating.

For example, the Film Association of Malawi (Fama) says it has created partnerships with international institutions to promote industry interests.

“We have partnered with international organisations that support and promote international exposure,” says Fama president, Ezaius Mkandawire, citing the Goethe Institute and Arterial Network Africa Movie Academy.

However, Mkandawire observes that these efforts are not enough, and the path to meeting international standards remains largely unpaved. He says current efforts are “just a way to create a conducive environment for our film makers to get used to the standards that are required 
internationally.” 

But, again, while the coming together of film makers is a sign of a country coming of age, Fama came into being only in the early 2000s, some 35 years after independence from Britain.

The same can be said of Musicians Union of Malawi (Mum). 51 years after independence, Mum is yet to forge win-win partnerships with international players in the music production and distribution chain, as Mum president, Reverend Chimwemwe Mhango, acknowledges.

  “At the moment, we are working with international music distributors to increase the exposure of our musicians to the international audiences,” says Mhango.

National ‘orphan’ 

While all the players in the arts industry are facing crippling challenges, one voice that rises loudest is that of writers who say that, half a century after the attainment of independence, the local writer remains at the mercy of book publishers’ devices.

Malawi Writers Union (Mawu) president, Mike Sambalikagwa Mvona, suggests that book publishers have created divisions among writers by preferring some writers over others.

“The publishers have sidelined the general fiction and non-fiction writer in preference for textbook writers, and this has reduced chances of getting one’s work published,” says Mvona.

This, he says, means that while other writers are making hay while the sun is shining, others do not know when it will be ripe to buy their way back to the bank.

On a positive note, though, the international community seems to have realised that Malawi can make a positive contribution on the global stage after Mvona’s election as Vice Chairperson for the International Authors Forum (IAF), a global organisation which provides a platform where authors’ organisations share information and take action on issues affecting them worldwide.

It is, in a way, like these have not been 51 years of walking under the shadow of anxiety.

Ideal world

This notwithstanding, there are others in the arts industry who feel that, in an ideal world, Malawi was supposed to have a one-stop arts centre.
For example, author, Malawi Pen and Book Publishers Association of Malawi president, Alfred Msadala, says some countries in the world have managed to develop one-stop arts centres as one way of appreciating the positive contribution of the arts in development.
“At my house, I have a picture of one of these centres, where artists have everything in one building. I took the picture when I visited one of the countries and I think this is the right way to go,” says Msadala.
Instead of working on this dream, however, the operational environment continues to be oppressive to, for example, publishers.
“The cost of publishing books is higher in Malawi than outside because paper and machines used are taxable,” says Msadala.
This, half a century after independence!

Biased recognition
As the country hopes for better days ahead, however, there are suggestions that creative minds that have contributed towards efforts to rid the country of vices such as colonialism and one-party oppression should be honoured.
For example, Poetry Association of Malawi (Pam) president, Felix Njonjonjo Katsoka, observes that poets have not been accorded the respect they deserve.

“For example, one day the country will realise that, through poetry, Jack Mapange actively participated in the struggle against oppression and fight for democracy,” says Katsoka.

And, half a century, later, poets are yet to reap the fruits of their labour

“Poets are not receiving loyalties from any media house. Currently, Cosoma is not collecting loyalties on behalf of poets while musicians are enjoying [the same]. [We also have a] small number of female poets. Potential female poets do not want to expose their talent,” laments Katsoka.

This notwithstanding, the poet has not been completely forgotten in post-independence Malawi.

“Malawian poetry has been part of the syllabi in all literature courses at all levels of education; for instance, Akoma Akagonera and Ndidzakutengera Kunyanja Ligineti in secondary schools,” he says.

Visual contribution

The visual arts industry has been one of the features of post-independence Malawi, painting the aspirations of individuals and the nation.

However, Visual Arts Association National Executive Committee Secretary, Gilbert Mpakule, recently told Weekender that, it has not been easy for the industry, too. He says the industry suffers from the malaise of lack of appreciation.

“Take, for instance, our secondary school curriculum. It took the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology ages to come up with a curriculum that incorporated Creative Art. Now we have Creative Art at secondary school level but there is lack of seriousness. Just imagine, we have a lot of secondary schools in Blantyre but only students at Chichiri Secondary School have expressed interest in the subject,” he observes.

Grand plans

Director for the Department of Culture in the Ministry of Information, Tourism, Culture, Dr. Elizabeth Gomani Chindevu, says the government appreciates the role of the arts industry in the country, hence the establishment of the Department of Culture as well as that of Arts and Crafts.

She says the department has great plans.

“Actually, we have plans to construct cultural infrastructure across the country. The challenge has always been finances,” says Chindebvu.

“Following the Adoption of the Cultural Policy, it will become easier for us to source funds because development partners want something that is typed in black and white, and this is the purpose that the Cultural Policy will serve,” adds Chindebvu.

Common hope

When all is said and done, all the arts associations seem to agree that the adoption of the new Cultural Policy heralds new hope for Malawi.

Pam recites stanzas of hope. And, so, do musicians. The film industry joins the song.

Pinning their hopes on a piece of paper. 51 years later!

HIV and AIDS: Malawi averts 200, 000 HIV Deaths

Malawi has in the past 10 years averted 47, 000 HIV infections, while the introduction of antiretroviral (ART) therapy has saved a further 200, 000 people from the jaws of death, a latest National Aids Commission report indicates.

The report takes stock of progress made since the introduction of free ART in 2004.

The report, titled ‘National HIV and Aids Estimates, has been released by Nac in collaboration with the Department of HIV and Aids in the Ministry of Health and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/Aids.

It shows that the country has reduced the rate of new HIV infections, HIV-related deaths while indicating that the number of people enrolled on the ART programme has increased.

“The number of new HIV infections has continued to decrease from 89, 000 in 2004, when the Government of Malawi introduced free antiretroviral therapy, to 42, 000 in 2014. More than half of all new HIV infections occurred in women aged 15 years and above in 2014,” the report reads in part.

It further indicates that the size of the HIV population in the country has been stable in the period under review, a development attributed to the decline in new infections and Aids death rates.

“The introduction of free ART has averted over 200, 000 deaths, including about 37, 000 in 2014 alone,” adds the report.

However, the report warns that the figures are modeled estimates as opposed to directly measured numbers.

Wake Up Malawi: Time to Change Nnational Mentality

There is something peculiar about the way Malawians conduct themselves. I am talking of how things go by contraries with politics and attitude towards life.

It seems that we take so many things for granted. Take, for instance, the fact that, despite the Kamuzu Barrage at Liwonde in Machinga being one of the country’s monumental structures—and despite reports that the barrage could be past its life span—nobody knows whether it is past its life span because there are no such records!

Then, there is the question of members of Parliament crossing the floor in Parliament. Ever since Malawians got acquainted with the term ‘crossing the flour’, they have embraced the term with the faith of a baby in its mother’s milk. It is as if there is a law called crossing the flour in this country.

But any lawyer worth their salt will tell you that nowhere does the Republican Constitution have a provision on ‘crossing the floor’. Any lawyer worth their salt will tell you that the ‘animal’ called ‘crossing the flour’ falls under what they term ‘Marginal Law’. In other words, ‘Marginal Laws’  are words scribbled on the margins of the Constitution to act as guidelines, but these words, by themselves, are not law.

I am giving these examples just to illustrate that we take so many things for granted in this country. This, in part, can be blamed on our disdain for research and documentation.

How many people, for example, have published books covering their areas of expertise in this country? Why is it that, often, it is foreign firms that conduct national audits in this country? To cut a long story short, these things happen because we take ourselves for granted. And it is because we take ourselves for granted that we have come to take other equally-important things for granted. That is why we believe things at face value.

Consequently, prostituting politicians will always tell us that they hop from one political grouping to another in order to foster development in their areas, and we shall always believe them.  The opposition will always claim to represent our wishes when it comes to rebuffing loan authorisation bills but keep mum when they connive with ruling parties to silently hike their take-home packages.

Indeed, our presidents will always tell us that they have developed the country beyond recognition and we will always believe them. 

No wonder, the political independence that the nationalists laboured over for years, and launched full of the high dosage of excitement, has foundered on the way to the promised land, although the wreck called Malawi continues to float, thanks to the foreign aid that mocks our claims of independence.

The truth is that the talk of independence was a hastily written story created with no thought beyond that of being at par with African states that attained independence around the same time with us. This was the sweet and sacred side of the change but, like all human stories, it had its droll and thorny side.

This year, 51 years after independence, the anxieties of reality have succeeded the aura of excitement. In fact, the plunder of public resources dubbed Cashgate has just made the situation worse. Manifestations of greed are all over the place, despite warnings against the risks of greed, especially that perpetuated by leaders.

Italian poet Dante Alighieri [1265 – 1321], for example, observed that “…greed ignores man himself and seeks other things, but charity ignores all other things and seeks God and man, and consequently man’s good”.

“But”, to quote Jean Jacques Rousseau [1712 – 1778], author of books such as ‘Discourse on the Origin of Inequality (1755) and ‘The Social Contract’ (1762), “in truth, what else was to be expected? Every community without laws and without rulers, every union formed and maintained by nothing better than chance, must inevitably fall into quarrels and dissensions at the fist change that comes about.”

Maybe we can blame this state of affairs on the governance systems adopted by our leaders. Emmanuel Kant [1724 – 1804], in the book ‘Perpetual Peace’ [written in 1795 when he was 71 years old] observes that there are some three notable maxims that leaders who are bound to fall follow, namely: Fac et excusa (Fist do and then excuse); Si fecisti nega (Deny whatever you have committed); Divide et impera (divide and govern).

According to Kant, leaders who adopt the Fac et Excusa concept “seize every favourable opportunity of usurping a right over their own state, or a neighbouring state. After the action, its justification may be made with greater ease and elegance…”

The Si fecisti nega type, however, deny whatever they have committed. “For instance, if you have reduced your people to despair, and thus to rebellion, do not confess it was through your fault. Place all (blame) to the account of the stubbornness of your subjects. If you have taken possession of a neighbouring state, maintain that the fault lies in the nature of man, who, if he is not anticipating, will certainly seize upon the fortunes of another.”

But it is the Divide et impera type   that is funny. “If there exists among a people certain privileged chiefs who have conferred upon you sovereign power (primus inter pares), set them at variance with each other, embroil them with the people. Favour the latter and promise them more liberty, and all will soon depend on thy will. Or if your views extend to foreign states, excite discord among them; and, under pretense of always assisting the weaker, you will soon subject them all, one after the other.”

The question is: What leaders have we imposed on ourselves? Maybe it is high time we reinvented the wheel and set the terms on what type of ruling and opposition leaders we want. It is not too late to start all over again after 51 years. 

The Arts: Sustaining the beat of international glory

Granted, it is not every year that members of national arts associations can win international awards.

However, when the time between one award and the next is prolonged, the situation becomes so embarrassing that memories of past glory take the shape of a memento of dead flowers presented on a new occasion.

This is the situation the country faces after registering positive results, in terms of getting international awards, in the arts. While some arts associations continue to produce winners, others are yet to make the big break.

Memento hours

One of the industries that have put the country on the map is that of music. For example, Malawians still remember how Wambali Mkandawire’s debut international album, ‘Zani Muwone’, put Malawi on the international map between 2002 and 2003.

The album, an eclectic mix of Malawian, Congolese and West African rhythms, saw Wambali being nominated for the Kora award in 2002.

The year after, he won the Music Award for the Best African Artiste.

However, his exploits were linked to his international exposure to music, other than Malawi’s musical environment. By Implication, this means Wambali might not have attained his status had he been the exclusive creation of Malawi’s artistic environment.
According to www.instinctafricaine.com, “Wambali Mkandawire was first introduced to Malawian traditional music and Congolese music by his grandparents who were working in Belgium Congo, where he was born. When he was 8 years old, his grandparents returned to what was then Nyasaland.”
This notwithstanding, Wambali nurtured his talent in Malawi, starting with his stint with “Pentagon Band in the late 1970s. The band later created a niche by fusing rock with traditional music. This was before he joined New Song’, Youth for Christ band, as one of the singers.
In 1988, Wambali recorded his first solo album with Krakatoa Music in Cape Town, South Africa. During the same time, he recorded and toured with ‘Friends First’, a South African music group.
 On release of ‘Zani Muwone’ in 2002, Wambali was invited to perform at the North Sea Jazz Festival held in Cape Town in 2002.
In August 2002, Wambali was awarded the World Intellectual Property Organisation Award for Creativity, marking the first time this award has ever been made to an African artiste. This is the year he was also nominated for a 2002 Kora Award in the category ‘Best Artiste from Southern Africa’.
Not that Wambali was the first to get international recognition. He is one of the few that include Dr Daniel Kachamba, who was recognised in Germany, where he went as a Mister but came back as a Doctor due to his prowess in music. That’s what music can do; turn locals into international celebrities.
The film industry has also had its time in the sun, and could be said to be the industry-of-the-moment when it comes to winning international awards.
For example, as recently as 2013, a young female director, Chimwemwe Mkwezalamba, won Best Emerging Director award for her film, ‘The Designer’, at the Silicon Valley African Film Festival held in California, USA.
In addition, ‘Umunthu’, a film by Mwizalero Nyirenda, won the Sembene Ousmane Award in Zanzibar (Tanzania);
That is not all, however, as film makers such as Shemu Joyah, and actors such as Joyce Chavula have kept Malawi’s flag flying on the international stage.

As for poetry, Stanley Onjezani Kenani was nominated for the 2012 Caine Prize.

While poetry has not been as prolific as film making, hope was rekindled on September 29, 2011, when the then U.S. Embassy acting Public Affairs Officer, Stephanie Reed, announced winners of the nation-wide poetry contest held for Malawian youth during August and September this year.
The overall winner was Madalitso Daniel Maluwa with his poem 'Nameless Rendition', with   Tadala Tembo, who entered the contest with 'Evergreen,' emerging as the first runner up while Towera Kabogodo Gondwe, who authored 'A Day is Coming', was the second runner up.
The winners were determined by a panel of three judges comprising published writer, local and international award winner Willie Zingani, published poet Stanley Onjezani Kenani and English Research Fellow Heidi Howland.

While Malawians thought that the US$700, US$500 and US$200 given to the overall winner, first runner up and second runner up, respectively, would motivate them into winning US dollars on the international scene, the big break is yet to be made.

The winning formula

Film Association of Malawi (Fama) president, Ezaius Mkandawire, says, while it is not easy to create a winning brand, it is possible to sustain the winning spirit on the international stage, so long as there is team work.

“[That is why) we have recognised all those that have made it big. We have invited some to pick their brains through round table discussions. We have, for example, engaged Charles Shemu Joyah in drafting a Development Strategy. We are surely going to ask those that have flown our flag high to help grow and nurture the film industry with us,” says Mkandawire.

Mkandawire adds that, to an extent, Fama has guided film makers to win international awards.

“We have, for example, partnered with international organisations that support and promote international exposure. These organisations include the Goethe Institute, Arterial Network Africa Movie Academy. We constantly are in touch with our members to appraise them on international developments like festivals.”

He adds that Fama has a working understanding with Multi Choice involving the collection of films from Malawi for exposure to international audiences.

“Currently, we are establishing a film festival that will be held in October. We have identified a partner. We have done initial consultations with the government [and] this is just a way to create a conducive environment for our film makers to get used to the standards that are required
internationally,” says Mkandawire.
He says this is in line with the association’s founding philosophy. The idea to establish Fama was molted in the early 2000s when a group of people decided to establish an association with a specific purpose of lobbying the then sole television station, Television Malawi [now Malawi Broadcasting Corporation Television], to provide cheaper rate for broadcasting material.

However, the idea did not work and it took the emergence of what was then the Malawi International Film Festival to realise the dream again.

Musicians Union of Malawi president, Reverend Chimwemwe Mhango, says the union is aware that the international music trophies’ cabinet is almost empty and is working on improving the situation.

“At the moment, we are working with international music distributors to increase the exposure of our musicians to the international audiences. We also have plans to talk to record labels because these institutions are well-connected to expose local talent. If you take the example of Wambali, you will realise that his award-winning album was recorded in South Africa and were handled by a record label,” says Mhango.

Wambali’s award-winning ‘Zani Muwone’ was produced by JB Arthur.

Mhango says, as part of increasing international exposure, the union sent representatives to the recent gathering of musicians in South Africa.

He says only through working with record labels and forging international partnerships can the international window be opened for international trophies.

Poetry Association of Malawi president, Felix Njonjonjo Katsoka, says poets can bring glory home, but are not given a chance to perform alongside foreign artists when they visit the country. He says this affects poets’ exposure while local musicians are accorded the opportunity to perform alongside foreign artists.

Charity, he suggests, should begin at home.

And the poets will, in turn, entice international glory home!

Kulengeza Uthenga Wachisoni

14 August, 2015

Kulengeza Uthenga Wachisoni

A ku likulu la Mpingo Wakatolika akulengeza za imfa ya Bambo Denis Kamalo a Zomba Dayosizi. Bambo Kamalo amwalira ku chipatala cha Mission cha Pirimiti m’boma lomwelo la Zomba dzulo pa 13 August ali ndi zaka 74.

Mwambo wa Maliro ukachitikira ku Zomba Cathedral Lolemba pa 17 August, 2015 kuyambira 10:00 mmawa.

Bambo Kamalo omwe anabadwa pa 14 September, 1941, amachokera m’mudzi wa Kamaru ku Mlombozi Parish m’Boma la Zomba. Atatsiriza maphunziro awo a Philosophy and Theology adadzozedwa unsembe pa 18 April m’chaka cha 1971.

Moyo wa Unsembe:

Ngati wansembe, Bambo Kamalo atumikira ku Parishi ndi malo awa: Liwonde, Nankhunda, Lisanjala, Mayaka, Chipini, Domasi ndiponso Matiya. Adakhalapo Director wa Likulezi Catechetical Centre komanso St. Joseph Carpentry.

Bambowa adatumikiranso ngati Khansala wa Episkopi, Chaplain wa Achinyamata komanso Chaplain woyang’anira ndende ndi zipatala.

Dongosolo la mwambo wa maliro:
14 – 16 August, 2015: Thupi la malemuwa likhala likusungidwa kunyumba ya chisoni ya Chipatala chachikulu cha Zomba. Mapemphero akhala akuchitika opempherera mzimu wawo.

16 August, 2015:  4:00 madzulo:  Mapemphero ndi kutenga thupi la malemuwa kunyumba yachisoni.

  4:30 madzulo:  Mwambo wa Misa ku Zomba Cathedral.

  6:00 madzulo:  Mwambo wokhudza maliro.

17 August, 2015: 10:00 mmawa: Nsembe ya Misa ku Zomba Cathedral.

Mzimu wa Bambo Kamalo uuse ndi mtendere

Rev. Fr. Henry Saindi

SECRETARY GENERAL