Tributes continue pouring for late Goodall Gondwe as he takes his final rest in Enukweni, Mzimba

* The good that men do is indeed often buried with their bones

* But that should surely not be the case with this extraordinary citizen—Former Minister Ken Lipenga

By Duncan Mlanjira

“Very few people go into politics and come out without being tainted in some way,” says Ken Diston Lipenga, revered journalist who became politician as Member of Parliament for Phalombe East from 1997-2014 and served in various Ministerial positions — on the passing of esteemed former Finance Minister, Goodall Frank Gondwe.

Goodall Gondwe died on August 9 and has been laid to rest today in Enukweni, Mzimba but the eulogies keep coming from those that were touched by the great technocrat’s work integrity in the interest of his Motherland.

Thus Lipenga adds that “with Goodall, the consensus among Malawians is that he was emminently competent, patriotic, honest, humble, well-meaning and a force for good — these are qualities that  have now sadly become scarce commodities, scarcer even more than fuel”.

He narrates that every time he traveled to Lilongwe, he made an effort to meet Goodall Gondwe, saying: “He faulted me whenever I didn’t. Red wine at his house. A lunch or dinner outing, at Four Seasons or some other place. Endless conversation, candid opinions. An abundance of mischievous jokes at each other’s expense.

“Goodall was a master of wit and self-effacing humour. He knew I enjoyed the banter, and he kept repeating his stories every time we met. “Let me tell you this one about a certain Phoka gentleman in the 1950s,” he would start.

“I was, of course, always mindful that Goodall was the towering giant, and I the midget, grateful to be in his company. Some people find it difficult to mix with lesser mortals. Not so with Goodall.

“Like all trully great people, he opened up to you to the point that you began to feel he was your equal. We developed a degree of camaraderie. He would rip me to pieces and get away with it; and I would return the favour without negative consequences.

“Goodall’s remarkable accomplishments as an economist, internationally and here at home, have earned him universal acclaim. But he was also a man with a greatly refined liberal sensibility.

“He had a deep interest in the arts, was well-read in the humanities, and I can attest to his flair for the occasional Shakespearean allusion. He once changed the time of my London rendezvous with him in order to attend a classical concert at the Royal Albert Hall featuring his favourite composer.

“On a visit to his village, I found that people held him in great awe. In the Tumbuka language certain words are uttered in a way that expresses nuanced feelings particularly well. In Goodall’s village I heard the salutation “aDada” — pronounced with an intonation that combined love with deep respect in a way that conveyed Goodall’s patriarchal position in the community.

“But that was more than matched by what I saw when Goodall and I strolled from desk to desk during a mission to the IMF offices in Washington. The respect for my senior colleague, among IMF officials — young and old and of all races, many of whom had pretty much been trained on the job by him — verged on near-worship.

“On later visits without him, when negotiations hit difficult patches, I sometimes felt tempted to say “hey folks, don’t forget I’m the one that came here with Goodall the other day,” just to get some respectful attention. Alas, greatness does not so easily rub onto others.

“Last week I travelled to Lilongwe again. I knew Goodall was unwell and I wanted so much to see him. So very much. When I called, it was his wife Gertrude who answered the phone. Sadly, there were understandable difficulties, and on the fourth day I had to accept that I couldn’t see my bed-ridden friend. That was not easy.

“But then on Sunday, as I drove back to Blantyre, Goodall called me. I  stopped by the roadside, and we spoke for a few minutes in what turned out to be our last conversation.

“Oh friends, countrymen, though I be no Marc Anthony, do kindly lend me your ears, for I come to praise Goodall, not to bury him. The good that men do is indeed often buried with their bones, but that should surely not be the case with this extraordinary citizen?

“Pepani Gertrude. Pepani family. Nkhuzi ya pa Enukweni, nkhuzi pakati pa zinyakhe, yaruta. May his soul rest in peace.”

Joining, Lipenga is Lot Dzonzi, former Inspector General of Malawi Police Service, said a month or so after the General Elections in 2014, Goodall Gondwe as Minister of Finance & Economic Development invited him for a consultative meeting for the IG to justify why the Police Service wanted to procure some security equipment that it had requested from government and how immediate the need was.

“He listened to me attentively, asked questions, sought clarification, and we came to an amicable understanding.

“I then asked him a question: ‘When will you release your autobiography?’ He laughed heartily and asked, ‘Is there anything to write about?’ I said, ‘Yes, you owe the children of Malawi your life story’.”

“He laughed again and said, ‘IG, you should have been in academics not law enforcement’. Four weeks ago, in a conversation with Hon. K. Msiska I was delighted to learn that he was editing Hon. Goodall Gondwe’s autobiography. I pray the family will ascertain that it is published.”

Dzonzi added that at their consultative caucus, he asked Goodall Gondwe a second question: “Why have you turned down the security detail we assigned to you as a Minister?” He laughed again: ‘I don’t see any security threat on me? Who would be interested to harm or kill me? For what benefit?’

“By the way, other than him and Mtebeti Wambali Mkandawire, I have met very few other people who speak unadulterated Tumbuka.”

Former Reserve Bank of Malawi Governor, Dailitso Kabambe posted this morning that he was attending Goodall Gondwe’s last mile in Enukweni, saying: “We remember the words of Abraham Lincoln who said ‘In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years’.

“Late Goodall Gondwe lived his life of service, and we gather here to celebrate his selfless departed life.”

Soon after the news of Goodall Gondwe’s passing, Kabambe posted a condolence message on his Facebook page, saying: “I am at a loss for words during this sorrowful time. Goodall Gondwe will always be within my heart and that of many others who loved him.

“You have accomplished many good things in life, for the country and the DPP. You worked hard and always followed the path of integrity.

“Sleep well, my boss, mentor, pillar, and friend. To the family and the PPP, my heart is heavy with sympathy, please accept my most heartfelt condolences.”

On his part and of the country, President Lazarus Chakwera said: “His dedicated service and contribution to our nation will forever be remembered — may his legacy continue to inspire us all.”

In April 2021, in commemorating nine years after former President Bingu wa Mutharika’s death, Malawians paid their fond tributes to his greatness and visionary leadership on social media, in which Ted Mwale said Bingu “had the welfare of poor Malawians at heart” and that he “didn’t want to praise his party gurus who were busy looting the resources everyday at the expense of poor Malawians”.

“He left UDF and formed his own party with new faces in the Cabinet who had no background of corruption, whatsoever — we’re talking of the likes of Goodall Gondwe, Martin Kansichi, Glean Malunga etc.”