* Death shaming nation. Sad. There’s no beautiful death—Joseph Kamkwasi
* You can say that again and again. So much idle minds amongst us—Gift Mandowa
* We misuse our resources especially social media, trying to be holier-than-thou—Zamatchecha Mbekeani
Analysis by Duncan Mlanjira
For every misfortune that a prominent figure falls into, Malawians have the tendency of taking to social media to ridicule them and further pronounce their distress as sin before the Almighty God — in a holier-than-thou attitude.
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Following the death of a prominent private sector executive (name withheld) as a result of cardiac arrest a few days ago, people used the social media to ridicule the manner he died (details also withheld) — with the majority judging him as if he committed the greatest sin of all.
This prompted lawyer Joseph Kamkwasi to chastise this tendency of humiliating the deceased, saying: “Death shaming nation. Sad. There’s no beautiful death.”
To which Vinnie Shabani II responded to declare that this is really “sad”, adding: “Anthu samakusiya mpaka ku manda (people talk ill of you up to your grave). They think they are angels.”
James Chirwa described the penchant of talking ill of the dead as “zausatana” (satanic itself), adding: “Some people are sadistic” while Legrand Mkandawire declared that it was very sad that Malawians “find joy in one’s misery”.
Wezi Moyo was also incredulous of this propensity by Nyasas in “death shaming” — asking: “Where is the respect for the dead?”
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Clever Ngwalo described it as “voices up analyzing as if the gone victim hears” while Mikemavuto Missih added voice by saying: “Amene sanachimwepo agende (only those who have never sinned should cast the stone”) — quoting Jesus; as chronicled in the Holy Bible.
Gift Mandowa observed that there is “so much idle minds amongst us”, to which Zamatchecha Mbekeani responded, saying: “We misuse our resources, especially social media, trying to be holier-than-thou — very sick indeed.”
Edward Msumba said: “What do we expect from a nation, whose people are said to be wondering about, going nowhere and busy doing nothing”, to which Russel Kaunda responded to say: “eti mpaka kusewera bawo mpakana 9pm (people play the game of bawo from morning to deep into the night instead of finding means for their livelihood”.)
Bawo playing was once publicly condemned by former President, late Bingu wa Mutharika, when he was applauding the hard-working spirit of women, especially those in the poor rural areas where women fend for their homes whilst their husbands spend hours loafing by playing bawo.
The comments continued, citing that “death is death” prompting Jeremiah Msindiza to say “chakudza sichiyimba ng’oma (misfortune does not announce its arrival [but that] it’s just time” — and that cardiac arrest comes as unsuspectedly.
Chimwemwe aNagama described this inclination of judging the dead as coming from sick minds of many Malawians, especially in this age of social media, in which people hide behind false names.
“We are a very sick nation — literally,” aNagama said, with Ned wa aPoya joining in, saying: “A sorry State, we pretend too much.”
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While the condemnation was fierce, one commentator, Agnes Ngozo, declared without any apology that the unfortunate circumstances of the deceased’s death “ndi phunziro kwa otsala koma kwa aku banja ndi imfa yochitisa manyazi — sizinayende apa” — translated as it is a lesson to the living and a disgrace to the bereaved family.
This is exactly what the rest of the commentators who joined the learned counsel, Kamkwasi, in agreeing and condemning this tendency — which is a violation of the bereaved’s family.
Although she was censured by Vinnie Shabani, reminding her that death from cardiac arrest does not choose where one is or what they were doing — and that she shouldn’t judge — Agnes Ngozo was adamant, saying: “Waweluza kale mwini wake, Mulungu. Otsalafe titengelelepo mwai wolapa ndikusiya machimo (God has already condemned the deceased and it is up to us to repent)”.
Nobody else came to her support, as Ignatius Kamwanje summed it up, saying: “Dead men speaketh not. Are those remaining immortal? —Malawians talk too much.”
But as William Shakespeare wrote in his play ‘Julius Caesar’: “The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones” are insightful words spoken by Marc Antony in the play, which perhaps resonates well with what the concerned Malawians were trying to articulate.
Malawians’ negativity to most things include even on positive developments as what was manifested a few days ago when Kondwanie Chirembo shared on Facebook a picture of Spanish football player in a jersey that displayed Malawi Tourism logo of ‘Malawi, The Warm Heart of Africa’.
Chirembo added the caption: “Jealous down,ka logo ka Malawi Tourism kakuoneka bwino pa kit yathuyi”.
Chirembo was responding to an agreement that the second tier of the Spanish league, the Segunda División has signed with Malawi Ministry of Tourism, Culture & Wildlife, to join the club’s rotating ‘main sponsor’ strategy.
CD Leganés started displaying the logo ‘Malawi, The Warm Heart of Africa’ on the front of its jersey in their Matchday match against Levante UD last Sunday at the Estadio Municipal Burtaque.
The response of this positive development was a negative — first from Frederick Bvalani, who seemed to sneer by saying: “Koma mwamva zoti it’s just for 2 months (aren’t you aware it’s just for two months”?
Which indeed is what has been agreed on by both parties in the ‘main sponsor’ strategy that allows companies from different sectors to have the opportunity to associate themselves with CD Leganes, to “enjoy the notoriety that comes with being a ‘main sponsor’”.
Kondwanie Chirembo diplomatically responded to Frederick Bvalani, — almost a sneer — saying: “Ayi, tinali tisanamve koma akaona momwe akusapotedwera aonjezera mpaka kutha kwa season (no, I haven’t heard, but probably if it is to be positive, the agreement may be extended)”
Patrick Manja also censured Frederick Bvalani, saying for the moment “it’s still a good deal”, with Bvalani adamantly saying: “Mwina akufuna kuti mukaona bwino muyambirane deal yolipira — apapa ndi zaulere (maybe they just want to entice us and later start billing us)”
Mwai Kadangwe replied to Bvalani, saying “olo atati fili deyizi zilibwino (even if it was just for three appearances, all is good”).
Mulauzi Henry Chete was on point to say the agreement “is on rotational basis”, while Yvonnie Akonda Sundu was of the opinion that: “Isn’t this better than nothing?” to which Kondwanie Chirembo responded: “Exactly — I get it we generally want more as things are not where we would have loved, but on this one, this little matters.”
Chirembo also said “a slice is better than nothing”, adding that in the the two months of the deal, interested people will start “enquiring as to which country is this on the front of the [Club Deportivo Leganés] jersey
Aaron Allan Munthali went further to sneer and describe Club Deportivo Leganés as if it’s an ordinary Spanish team, yet this Spanish club — which has played the vast majority of its existence in the lower leagues — gained promotion in 1977 to the 4th division where it had played before for seven years when the category was still the third level.
After a steady progression, Leganés reached the division 3 in 1987, being promoted to the second division six years later and maintaining its league status for 11 seasons — during which it collected two consecutive eighth places (best) from 1995 to 1997.
In the 2013-14 season, Leganés promoted to Segunda Division after 10 seasons in Segunda B and for the first time in their history, Leganés earned promotion to La Liga in the 2015-16 season — becoming the fifth team from Community of Madrid to ever play in La Liga after Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Rayo Vallecano and Getafe.
They remained in the top flight for four seasons, reaching a peak of 13th in 2018-19 before relegation in the last game of the following season, a 2–2 home draw with Real Madrid.
During this spell, the team qualified for the first time to the semifinals of Copa del Rey by eliminating Real Madrid in the quarterfinals thanks to a 2–1 win at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium — Spain’s most glamorous football venue.
While all this is good, Malawians would still use social media to pretend to be the know-it-all — just as we continually search for negativity in everything positive.
