Kondwani Munthali -Malawi

Good morning Mr Munthali. I always responded Good morning Mr. Munthali. He always ended ndimakukondani Achimwene. I would laugh or ask what is it you want. He would say your time, I have nobody to bother now, so you are my choice lets chat. Every call, whatsapp, messenger from Ousmane was something else. He did not see what time it was and neither did he mind that he was inconveniencing you. He said he never applied to be my brother, so since he cant be fired, get used to it and live with it. In 2007 whilst in Johannesburg, we were with Chikwekwe Khonje, is his rugged Fiat, South African Police stopped and searched us. I was furious, Ousmane was laughing after the ordeal I snapped up asking him what was funny about the humiliation of being stopped and searched as potential suspects, he casually said "zilibe woti wachoka ku USA, kaya ndiwe celeb wa newspaper ku Malawi umazunza ma President kwanu, aliyense kuno ndi suspect. Pepa chimwene." I am dark, he could not read I had t...

I had to graduate at the age of 27 years from a youth activist to a youth worker, to adjust to age. I am not sure what I am supposed to call myself in reference to advocating youth rights in political, social and economic development of Malawi. Today, 19 March 2015, however brought back emotions we experienced when we fought, not to a greater success of the need to have a structure to formally impart youth skills from community level. With assistance of Unicef, between 1996 to 2001, we tried to set very powerful youth led skills centres like Gemacadet in Rumphi, Focus in Karonga, Cayo in Kawale, Mteso in Nkhatabay, Yased in Area 18, Youth Arm Drop in Centre, Chingale in Zomba and many others in Chikwakwa,  Ntchisi and Nkhotakota. Some suceeded, some failed. Today, President Peter Mutharika launched the Ngara Community Technical College. After 21 years since the dismantling of the Malawi Young Pioneers, the opening should have marked a greater celebration to those that have wo...

"Why did I laugh to-night? No voice will tell"-John Keats Why did I laugh tonight? No voice will tell. No God, no Demon of severe response, Deigns to reply from Heaven or from Hell. Then to my human heart I turn at once. Heart! Thou and I are here sad and alone; I say, why did I laugh! 0 mortal pain! O Darkness! Darkness! ever must I moan, To question Heaven and Hell and Heart in vain. Why did I laugh? I know this Being's lease, My fancy to its utmost blisses spreads; Yet would I on this very midnight cease, And the world's gaudy ensigns see in shreds; Verse, Fame, and Beauty are intense indeed, But Death intenser--Death is Life's high meed I rarely write nowadays because primarily of the nature of my work, nobody is supposed to know your opinion, I hope soon or later could live to the promise of three books, one on inside politics (1994-2015), one on media (history and greatest stories) and one on the greatest Malawians to remember. I ho...

Happy New Year. It is not very late to say that, only first month gone. 2014 was a very long year, as one of those rightly observed, a very trying year. Of course, 2015 has started on the extreme side, we have lost a very good Bishop Zuza, and of course, one of the ever smiling warm persons I came across in politics, Mai Ruth Tembo. With almost all interviews in my career as a Journalist  with JZU at his area 10 residence or Nyambadwe, travelling with him during the 2009 campaigns, I ended up interacting with the mother of the house often. And whenever she was mentioned "Baba" as we call JZU would beam with pride, as speak of her as "my dietitian." For the Bishop, he loved farming, and I am sure he was coming from his farm in Hesyeni, when called recalled him to his home. We met and spoke at length about farming near my farm after Jenda, he thought it was very unusual for someone of this generation to speak of farming the way I do. May their souls, of these two un...