Chakwera buys first poppy ribbon at K2m as he launches national Poppy Week

* When it comes to constitutionalism and institutionalism, there is no better role model in our governance framework than the Malawi Defence Force

* For this reason, those who have gone into retirement after wearing the uniform with valour and honour deserve our fondest memory, our highest regard, and our noblest service

By Kondwani Magombo, MANA

President Lazarus Chakwera calls on the citizenry to honour the soldiers who risked their lives and contributed to the country’s national security.

He made the appeal on Friday when he officially launched the 2023 Poppy Week at Kamuzu Palace in Lilongwe and enhanced the call to support the war vets by buying the first poppy ribbon at K2 million.

He emphasized that there could be no better occasion than the start of the Poppy season for Malawians to reflect and commit themselves to the care of the soldiers, who put themselves in harm’s way to keep the citizenry safe.

He noted that soldiers who have served in the country’s military have contributed to the Malawi Defence Force’s well-established reputation as a disciplined, skillful, and patriotic institution.

“When it comes to constitutionalism and institutionalism, there is no better role model in our governance framework than the Malawi Defence Force,” Chakwera said. “For this reason, those who have gone into retirement after wearing the uniform with valour and honour deserve our fondest memory, our highest regard, and our noblest service.

“To all of you here, to all those you represent and are not able to be here, and to all those we have lost along the way, I say, on behalf of the Malawian people, thank you.”

Chairperson for Veterans & Ex-Service League of Malawi (VELOM), General Henry Odillo (Rtd), said the organisation seeks to raise a total of K100 million for rehabilitation of houses for the vets at Zomba War Memorial Home.

Odillo said VELOM needs a lot of support from well-wishers to accomplish its mandate of looking after the retired soldiers, widows and children to ensure that their welfare is taken care of.

He added that with available resources, the organisation has been supporting its members, including those who were affected by Tropical Cyclone Freddy, but more resources are still required.

“We are going to engage the private sector, starting with a charity golf tournament on November 4, to raise funds for the welfare of our veterans,” Odillo said, while calling upon the corporate world to heed the appeal and support the cause.

Three veteran soldiers, Sergeant Dinga Kamlambe, Corporal Wadi Themwe and Private Ibrahim Jali, graced the occasion.

The MDF originated from elements of the British King’s African Rifles, colonial units formed before independence in 1964.

Before independence, Malawi depended for its military supplies on the barracks in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, as British colonial military logistics was usually organized on a continental basis, rather than at the level of individual colonies.

The Malawi Rifles were formed when the country gained its independence from the United Kingdom in 1964 with its first battalion was formed from the 1st Battalion, King’s African Rifles and on independence the battalion became 1st Battalion, The Malawi Rifles (King’s African Rifles).

They were based at what became the headquarters of the Malawi Army at Cobbe Barracks in Zomba, which had been named so in May 1958 for British General Alexander Cobbe General VC, who had served with the King’s African Rifles.

On 6 July 1966, Malawi became a republic and after the swearing in ceremony, President Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda’s first duty was to present the battalion with his own presidential colour and the new regimental colour.

It was under the leadership of Brigadier Paul Lewis, a British expatriate and the Army’s first indigenous commander was Brigadier Gracian Matewere whom Kamuzu Banda instantly promoted to Major General after the resolution of a South African Airways hijacking in Blantyre in 1972.

In 2004, General Joseph Chimbayo was succeeded by Mario Chiziko who was to be succeeded by Henry Odillo as MDF Commander.

When President Peter Mutharika became President in 2014, he replaced the Defence Force commander four times in six years — with General Odillo handing over to General Ignacious Maulana in 2014, who was replaced in 2016 by Griffin Supuni Phiri.

Another change occurred in 2019 and in 2020 when General Vincent Nundwe replaced by Major General Andrew Namathanga but he was soon to be replaced by the same Nundwe.—Additional info from Wikipedia