By Duncan Mlanjira
In remembering former Head of State, late Ngwazi Dr. Hastings Banda, Ambujeapali Sekeleza posted a picture of the red Rolls Royce that formed part of the Ngwazi’s convoy.
Kamuzu’s motorcade was simply eye catching since the red Rolls Royce plus the 6-door Mercedes limousine and the white Jaguar were the only such glamorous vehicles.
Sekeleza said: “As a young boy growing up in Zomba in the Kamuzu days, it was fun as well as hell attending state/party events presided by the Ngwazi.

The sleek motorcade
“I liked seeing ‘top notch’ vehicles in the presidential motorcade and likewise I also liked watching the presidential helicopter with fire engines waiting beside it.
“That was a marvel for young ones at a time when there were no TVs, no Internet and the whole country had only one radio station.
“The bad side of such events was the harsh treatment from the Malawi Young Pioneers and Youth Leaguers who could even keep you burning in the sun regardless of your age. You could could not stand or move anyhow when Kamuzu was there.”
Mapopa Williams has fond memories: “I had a rare moment to sit in the red Rolls Royce car way back in 1993.
“State house had bought Goodyear tyres through Press Corporation and I was working at Tyre Sales and Services that sold tyres and did fitments, balancing and alignment, which was a PCL subsidiary.
“The car came in to be fitted with the tyres with a driver and a guard (with a gun on his hip). While there I joked with the bodyguard and luckily he allowed me to just ‘sit’ where I assumed Kamuzu and the Queen Elizabeth of England sat in this car.

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“I felt good having lost the moment to have a handshake with Queen Elizabeth by a whisker way back in 1979.”
That attracted the question — where are these vehicles? To which someone hinted that the red Rolls Royce is at Old Parliament in Zomba, but not on display but just parked and covered with a tarpaulin.
Noel Madalitso Chikhozo and Jibu Risasi Nyirenda disclosed that the 6-door Mercedes limousine is also parked at PVHO in Blantyre opposite Mwaiwathu Hospital under a shade in a garage.

The Mausoleum
Andrew Luka Zulu disclosed that other vintage cars are parked at Kamuzu Palace garage in Lilongwe, “still in their majestic conditions”.
Achipembedzo Carlos Matukuta Milanzi said one vintage Landrover that formed the motorcade is at the Malawi Defence Force Museum, which his neighbour.
“One can vividly see it from the road going towards Sunbird Ku Chawe Inn,” Achipembedzo said.

With Queen Elizabeth in 1979
Andy Kakwalala responded by saying: “That was one heck of a beautiful car. Looking at it never got old for me.”
Positive thinking is that it would be proper to preserve these Government vehicles.
Why can’t the government make these vehicles into a national artifacts by creating a special museum for them, is a suggestion being put forward.

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Sadly, any such proposal for museum to do with Kamuzu is usually met with the thinking that this might be political as it will glorify the Malawi Congress Party.
As a country which has a rich history, if such a museum was to be set up, say in Lilongwe, many would probably donate some more national artifacts.
Washington Chimuzu suggested that perhaps an alternative route is to encourage the private sector plus philanthropic institutions or individuals to set up such a museum.

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“Besides vehicle collections, the famous Nguluyanawambe Palace at Kasungu or where HKB had his first clinic, could be turned into major attractions for locals and foreign tourists alike,” he said.
Inawdnok Alayimak commented that it’s sad that his first clinic ay Yiannakis in Limbe is a stationery shop which would have been a tourism hotspot.
Sekeleza rejoined, saying “I was just talking about such a museum moments ago. My fear is that one day we will find such historical vehicles dismantled or sold out secretly.”

Coronavirus alert
Jarvis Kamvabingu posed different question: “Where are all his black suits and whites shirts? They can also be in a museum.”
Meanwhile, the country’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima and Malawi MCP President Lazarus Chakwera joined family members of Kamuzu’s family, who organised special prayers for the founding father of the nation at his Mausoleum in Lilongwe.
May 14 was being celebrated as a national holiday which was Kamuzu’ birthday but after he was disposed through the ballot paper in 1994, the government under Bakili Muluzi abolished the holiday.

The statue
Kamuzu Day was restored in 2014 by former President late Bingu wa Mutharika.
Kamuzu, who ruled Malawi for 31 years died in 1997 and Bingu facilitated the completion of the Mausoleum as well as a statue.