This
site is designed for Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator versions
4 and above and a screen resolution of at least 800x600
|
|
|
Politics and Christianity in Malawi
By
DD Phiri - 02-07-2002 |
|
|
Perhaps this is the appropriate time to review a book with the title Politics and Christianity in Malawi 1875-1940 by John McCracken who was Professor of History at Chancellor College, University of Malawi from 1980-1983.
As his name suggests Professor McCracken is a Scotsman. During the time the people of Malawi were campaigning against the impending Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland McCracken was working as a National Service Subaltern (a soldier below the rank of captain) on the border between England and Scotland. Though that was far away from the Land of the Lake McCracken tells us: “I was made overwhelmingly aware of the active and controversial role the Church of Scotland was playing in opposing the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland through the comprehensive coverage given by the Scottish press to the church’s campaign. It was from that date that I began to speculate on why it was that the depressingly conformist church of my youth should have emerged as a radical critic of the British government’s African policy.”
In 1964 while he was teaching at the University College of Rhodesia McCracken paid a visit to Malawi. On July 5, he observed Kanyama Chiume, then Publicity Secretary of the Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and Dr Kamuzu Banda’s righthand man, singing ‘Zonse zimene n’za Kamuzu Banda’ - “All things belong to Kamuzu Banda.” He decided to dig more into Malawi history and politics.
Fifteen years ago I had two clerks on my staff—a male from Ntcheu and a female from Mzimba. The male one was concerned with despatching letters. I remember him saying, that letter to Livingstonia, required an additional stamp because it was going outside the country. I asked him what country. He said Zambia. I asked him if he did not know the difference between Livingstone and Livingstonia He said he had never heard of Livingstonia. I then asked the female secretary and all she could say was; “I think Livingstonia is somewhere in the Northern Region”. She could not say exactly where.
That day I recalled two things: one was the fate of the Hebrews in Egypt. It is written in the Bible that the Pharaoh who was illtreating them did not know who Joseph was. The ancestor of those Hebrews, Jacob and his eleven sons, had been invited to Egypt by Joseph after he had been elevated officially—having interpreted dreams and then saved Egypt from seven years of famine. This story had been forgotten.
Apart from remembering the Hebrews of Egypt I recalled a little book I had read during my primary school days called Dziko la Nyasaland ndi anthu ache meaning: The territory of Nysaland and its people. It was published at Bembeke Catholic Mission. It dealt in outline with the history of Malawi, the main tribes, pioneer missions and the coming of British rule. Pupils who attended primary school those days got a fair knowledge of the history of Malawi from that little book—now sadly out of print.
McCracken’s book is about the role of the Livingstonia Mission in the history of Malawi. Not to know anything about Livingstonia is not to know the history of modern Malawi. For how can you talk about the arrival of missionaries and then British rule in this country if you have never heard of Livingstonia? For how can you talk of some notable sons and daughters of Malawi such as Clement Kadalie, Levi Mumba, Charles Chinula, Dunduzu Chisiza, Rose Chibambo, Patrick Mwamlima, and above all Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda, if you have never heard of Livingstonia or the Overtoun Institution?
The Church of Scotland may have been conformist at home but it was not quite so in Malawi. Scottish missionaries here pleaded for justice where they saw injustice, and peace where they saw war.
To the outside world Malawi in the 19th century was infested with two tribes that had come from opposite directions. The Yaos from Mozambique were said to be agents of slave traders, who with their guns ruthlessly destabilised weaker tribes. The Ngoni from Natal and Swaziland were said to be bloodthirsty savages who mercilessly slaughtered tribes that owned cattle and beautiful women.
In 1875 Dr Laws called upon Chief Mponda—a powerful Yao chief and adherent of Islamic faith—and sought permission to settle in his chiefdom, teach and preach. Chief Mponda showed the missionary Scotsman where he could safely anchor his ship.
Life was horrible at Cape Maclear. More than half of the missionaries died within six years but none of these died from a Yao’s gun. Unlike the UMCA advance party at Magomero, Chiradzulu, the Scottish missionaries approached Yaos courteously and courteously they were received.
By 1879 Laws went up north among the Mazongendaba Ngoni headed by the Inkosi ya Makosi M’mbelwa I. Laws appealed to the Ngoni to stop raiding other tribes and offered to help settle their differences with the Lakeshore Tonga. Though for three years—1882 to 1885—the missionaries were allowed to move beyond Njuyu, preach and teach, no harm was done to them.
When at last permission was given Christianity and education grew fast in Ngoniland.
Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston used to attack Yao chiefs at the slightest provocation, seize their ivory and also replace some chiefs with stooge pretenders. In the same vein, in 1896 Johnston wanted to go and attack the Northern Ngoni. Dr Laws pleaded with him not to, saying he was conquering them with the Bible. It was because of the Livingstonia Mission that the Ngoni of Mzimba were left in a semi-independent position till 1904. Even when their land was annexed the chiefs there, at the request of Dr Laws, enjoyed a measure of autonomy not enjoyed by chiefs elsewhere in Malawi.
In 1907 Dr Laws wrote: “Some constitutional means should be provided whereby the natives who form the majority of the population have a native council or otherwise the means of expressing an opinion on legitimate changes which concern themselves.”
With this liberal attitude it is no wonder that the first native association, harbinger of the Nyasaland African Congress (NAC), was launched in Karonga in 1912 by Simon Mhango with Peter Mwakasungula (a future Kyungu) as president, Levi Mumba—future president of NAC—was secretary. They were all products of the Livingstonia Mission.
In McCracken’s book you come across new material on Levi Mumba, Charles Domingo, Yesaya Zerenje Mwasi, Eliot Kamwana and many others. To read this book is intellectually en-riching though you occa-sionally come across matters of opinion which differ from yours. Politics and Chris-tianity in malawi 1875-1940 was originally published by the Cambridge University Press but is published locally by the University of Malawi and Claim in the Kachere Series.
|
|
|
|
|
|
