* He played a great advisory role to individuals and the nation as a whole
* He called upon everyone to be at peace with each other in all circumstances
* He was a true representation of common good and public interest at all times
By Chimwemwe Njoloma, MANA
President Lazarus Chakwera on Saturday led the nation in paying tribute to former Vice-President, late Justin Malewezi at Likuni Boys Secondary School premises in Lilongwe where Malawians gathered to send him off.
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Late Malewezi passed on Saturday April, 17 minutes after arrangements were being made to airlift him to South Africa for medical care.
Addressing the nation and the bereaved family, President Chakwera said the country had lost a finest administrator and political statesman.
Chakwera said after the late Malewezi retired from politics, he extended an invitation to him to share his journey in politics and other matters of life.
President Chakwera and the First Lady
He said the late Malewezi played a great advisory role to individuals and the nation as a whole saying many benefitted from his wisdom.
“There are times when you all cannot see the actual tears flowing down the cheeks but there is heavy bleeding inside because of the grief,” he said, adding that he has personally benefitted from the late Malewezi on most occasions they interacted.
“He was a man who loved peace and unity. He called upon everyone to be at peace with each other in all circumstances. He personally told me the importance of loving one and another.
Speaker of Parliament, Vice-President Chilima and his wife
“He was a true representation of common good and public interest at all times. May his soul rest in eternal peace as we lay him to rest today,” said Chakwera.
On his part, son to Malewezi, Justin Malewezi said his late father was a focused and efficient man who loved his community and his country and that he was a man who knew people by name.
“He made sure that he listened and talked to them with humility offering the best support.
Former President Joyc Banda and Chief Justice Richard Banda Rtd
“We are celebrating his life today because he lived the best life of it. Now that he has gone before us, we are glad that we can ask dad to talk to Jesus for us and intervene for us.
“A big thank you to friends and family who cared for him when he was unwell,” he said.
It was also learnt that the Malewezi family established a charity where they were supporting the underprivileged children in education.
Sharing his sermon, Bishop Alinafe Kalemba, said the life of late Malewezi was exemplary and worthy to be emulated, saying his passing on should be a turning point to live well with everyone.
Former President Bakili Muluzi
“Live for others so that when God in heaven looks down on you He should say well done my son. Whether we like it or not, we will one day depart from this earth and so let us live for God.”
Kalemba called upon Malawians to join hands and change Malawi just like Malewezi willed.
One of the beneficiaries of Mwanawanzako Education Bursary Programme, Victoria Nthala said the late Malewezi has left a huge impact on many who have benefitted from the charity through the bursary.
Nthala said the late Malewezi cared for the less privileged as his own — striving to give them the best.
“His advisory and resource contribution was legendary. He always extended a helping hand just to give us the best. We will miss him and thank God for a life well lived,” said the tearful Nthala.
The late Malewezi, who is survived by a wife, four children and six grandchildren, had a distinguished Civil Service career which brought him to the highest office of Secretary to the President and Cabinet; a Vice-President (for two consecutive terms from 1994 to 2004) and a Member of Parliament for Ntchisi North Constituency.
He was born on December 23, 1944 and attained his Cambridge School Certificate at Robert Blake Secondary School in Dowa before graduating with his first degree at Columbia University in the United States of America in 1967.
He started his public service life as a science teacher before rising to the post of headmaster and chief education officer in 1976 from which he rose to become permanent secretary in various ministries — including education and health.
He then held the post of secretary to the Treasury and by 1989 he had become Secretary to the President and Cabinet (SPC), then a very sensitive post under the regime of Kamuzu Banda.
It is reported that he probably stepped on Kamuzu’s toes that led his his being fired but unlike several others deemed rebellious by Kamuzu, Malewezi was never arrested or worse.
When the wind of political change started sweeping across central and southern Africa from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, Malewezi joined a clandestine underground group that included political leaders such as Bakili Muluzi, Aleke Banda, Dumbo Lemani and Edward Bwanali and journalist Brown Mpinganjira — who were mainly former ‘rebels’ of Kamuzu Banda.
The underground pressure group later became the UDF that went on to force Kamuzu Banda’s MCP to concede to the pressure by calling for a Referendum in 1993 on whether Malawians wanted multiparty democracy or not.
Kamuzu Banda lost the referendum and his 30-year rule on the country came to an end when he was toppled from power by the UDF through the first general multiparty elections in 1994 — with Bakili Muluzi as President and Malewezi the Vice-President.
But only to have seemed to have also stepped on Bakili’s toes towards the end of their second term together in which Malewezi was deemed to be eyeing the Presidency.
Many politicians then joined Muluzi in castigating the Vice-President on public political podiums but Malewezi never responded — even when his former boss ridiculed his health status.
A few years in his vice-presidency, Malewezi had to undergo a kidney transplant in Germany and he quietly lived with his condition until Muluzi and his fellow politicians then decided to bring it back on public domain — just to make sure they successfully pushed him out of the UDF.—Additional reporting by Duncan Mlanjira, Maravi Express
