* We have lost a mine of wisdom! Man of few words that were deep and rich in wisdom
* He was a pillar of democracy and fountain of wisdom
* His contributions to Malawi civil service will be highly remembered
* We are grateful for the gift of life that God gave him
By Duncan Mlanjira
Former Vice-President of the Republic of Malawi, the Right Honourable Justin Malewezi has died aged at the age of 78.
Fond eulogies keep pouring for the son of the Republic, who served as the Vice-President for President Bakili Muluzi twice as well as the Secretary for the President and Cabinet during former President, late Ngwazi Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda.
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Malawi Congress Party (MCP) Secretary General, Eisenhower Mkaka wrote on his Facebook wall: “We have lost a mine of wisdom! Man of few words that were deep and rich in wisdom! Cool, calm and collected!
“May you rest in peace, former Vice-President, Dr. Justin Chimera Malewezi,” said Mkaka, who is also Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Civil rights leader MacDonald Sembereka said: “We’ve lost a gentle soul — heaven has gained. Light eternal should shine upon him.”
In his eulogy, Joseph Chavula described Malewezi as a “pillar of democracy and fountain of wisdom. A true democrat and devoted high level civil servant of all time.”
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All these tributes are pouring in for Malewezi as deep nolstagia for the man he was — 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.
And in his indistinct retirement, he committed his time to private consultancy advising governments that included Tanzania, Ghana and Lesotho on education and public sector development.
Many Malawians believe Malewezi could have made a good President if his boss, Bakili Muluzi had endorsed him as his successor but politics of retribution played a part.
After been dumped by the United Democratic Front (UDF), he quit the party in 2004 and joined forces with People’s Progressive Movement where he was elected its vice-president — which was in Mgwirizano Coalition of seven other opposition parties.
Odds were for him to be elected as the Mgwirizano Coalition’s presidential candidate but the chance favoured Gwanda Chakuamba that forced Malewezi to decide to run as an independent candidate.
In her eulogy, Faustace Chirwa said Malewezi was a man “of very few words but decisive” and that if he had been “given the chance he would have made the best President this country would have had”.
“He was a man of high sense of integrity and responsibility. His contributions to Malawi civil services will be highly remembered — may his soul forever rest in eternal peace.”
Emmanuel Mtika Phiri said: “We have lost a great son of Africa — a servant leader and planner. We are grateful for the gift of life that God gave him.
Business guru, Jimmy Koreria Mpatsa said he was “a man of immense integrity and wisdom [but] he may be gone but will forever remain in our hearts. He was a thoughtful leader — a giant has fallen.”
Dawn Gowa Nyasulu believes Justin Chimera Malewezi could be among the “very, very few Malawian politicians who rose to top political positions but retired without leaving a stinking trail”.
Former President Bakili Muluzi
“Integrity par excellence. How I wish Malawi had just three more people of his standards still in political service. Rest In Peace Right Honourable.”
UDF president Atupele Muluzi — whose father, Bakili took Malewezi under his fold as running mate against Kamuzu Banda in 1993, said the former Vice-President “will be remembered for his exceptional contribution in laying the political and economic foundation of our mother Malawi”.
“Malawi has lost a fountain of wisdom, a fine politician and technocrat of our times.”
Atupele Muluzi, current UDF President
Tiwonge Nyirenda said as one of the finest sons of the Republic, “Malewezi has rested [having] epitomized the highest levels of integrity and dignity. Our deepest sympathies go to the entire Malewezi family and the nation as a whole. Sleep well, Sir.”
Born on December 23, 1943 from a school teacher father, Malewezi 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.
Former President Dr. 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.
Malewezi played a huge role in helping Malawians to exercise their democratic right like this
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.
The current President Lazarus Chakwera and his deputy Saulos Chilima
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.
In his death, Patrick Makowa describes Malewezi as a very humble man “who worked with integrity and professionalism — your deeds, Sir, shall ever be remembered.
“Mwafikira kuchoka mu ndale opanda kunyoza munthu wina aliyense, opanda kutukwana wandale wina aliyense (you retired from politics without insulting or castigating anyone). Such kind of leadership and skills is what we want in Malawi.”
Late Bingu wa Mutharika, the choice Bakili made to succeed him
Victor Daffrece said he was “an epitome of excellence and servant leadership. One of the few best leaders to have ever graced this land and really lived his life with the conviction that ukayenda usasiye mlomo, koma phazi (in whatever you do in life, never leave a rotten word).
“All these years he was out of politics, Malawians didn’t have any rotten-mouth-speech of his, on record, to use against him. Yeah, politics can be played cleanly when you realize you are serving God’s own people. May this humble son of the soil, reign in paradise.”
All other tributes described the late Malewezi as a Vice-President who superbly performed his duties with honesty and integrity; who never did dirty politics like others; who thought twice before making his contribution and could have been a good president if he had been given the chance.
He made few public appearances as he enjoyed a quiet life in his retirement, which Joseph Chitalo Nkhoma said it was like “he never existed. So humble. These are the kind of politicians we want, not these other greedy gurus who after serving here, they go on to form their own party”.
Patrick Mateketa said of him as “a good politician whose character many cannot manage to practice” with Dalitso Kubalasa saying “a true man of integrity and a fountain of humility and wisdom is gone. Fare thee well Sir, till that day”.
