By Kondwani Magombo
Mangochi, May 11, Mana: Government has identified a place near the Commonwealth Cemetery in Mangochi as the site for late Henry Masauko Chipembere’s monument to honour the fallen hero for fighting against the one party rule’s oppression.
The development follows the pledge President Professor Peter Mutharika made on December 8 2018 at Malindi in Mangochi during the commemoration of 120 years of St. Martin’s Mission Hospital of the Anglican Church.
Minister of Youth, Sports and Culture, Francis Phiso identified the site on Friday when he and his deputy, Martha Chiuluntha Ngwira visited the district for the occasion.
District Commissioner for Mangochi, Reverend Moses Chimphepo and Mangochi Town Council Chief Executive Officer, Abubakar Nkhoma took Phisoto two proposed sites but government chose the one near the Commonwealth Cemetery along the Mangochi-Chiponde Road.
Phiso described Chipembere as a true leader who had the welfare of the people of Mangochi and Malawi as a whole at heart.
“It pleased President Peter Mutharika to recall history by honouring Henry Masauko Chipembere this way because he (Chipembere) is very important in the history of Malawi,” said Phiso.
He added: “Chipembere showed true leadership when he resigned from a ministerial position after Dr. Kamuzu Banda fired three other ministers for protesting against the decision that Malawians should be paying three pence to get treatment from public hospitals.”
Phiso said Chipembere’s resignation was a clear statement that he was in agreement with the three ministers, a move that Dr. Banda deemed as open defiance.
He recalled that Chipembere’s Village, Moto, in Traditional Authority Chowe was set ablaze by the one party rule and that people lost homes and property.
Senior Chief Chowe hailed government for considering the construction of the monument for Chipembere, describing him as a freedom fighter.
Chowe also hailed the decision that government has made to have the monument at Mangochi Boma where everyone visiting the town could have a chance to see it.
“The monument could be erected in Malindi where Chipembere hailed from but then considering that he fought for the people of Mangochi, erecting the monument here at the Boma makes a lot of sense,” said Chowe.
Phiso also visited the 1901 Queen Victoria Monument and another monument in memory of the 145 passengers and crew who lost their lives when the MV Viphya sunk on July 30 in 1946.
The minister also visited the Mangochi Museum before he addressed the councils’ staff at Mangochi Town Council.
