Dunduzu Chisiza
Encyclopedia
Dunduzu Kaluli Chisiza was an early agitator for independence in Central Africa
.
or Chitimba) in the Karonga
district of Nyasaland (now Malawi
) on August 8, 1930, the youngest and eleventh child of Kaluli Chisiza, a group village headman and farmer. He, like his older brother Yatuta Chisiza
, was educated at Uliwa Junior Primary School and later, to the rough equivalent of sixth grade level, as a boarder at Livingstonia
. He left school in 1949, having failed the Nyasaland Standard VI examination.
He worked as a clerk in the records office of the Tanganyika (now Tanzania
) police in 1949 and later for four years continued his education at Aggrey Memorial College in Uganda
, where he joined and became secretary of the Nyasaland Students' Association centered at Makerere College, supporting himself with odd jobs. At this time he became an adherent of the Bahá'í Faith
. In 1955-6, after a stay in the Belgian Congo
in 1952-3 and another period in Uganda
, and armed with his Cambridge Overseas School Certificate from Aggrey, he returned briefly to Nyasaland before going to work as a clerk interpreter and translator in the India
n High Commission in Salisbury (now Harare
), Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe
).
Youth League. Together with George Nyandoro and Edson Sithole, he formed the City Youth League (CYL), whose first major accomplishment was the 1956 Salisbury Bus Boycott. In August 1956, presumably because this was regarded as a seditious organization, he was declared a prohibited immigrant and deported back to Nyasaland where he worked in a family butchery business and actively continued political activities opposing the Federation with Rhodesia. In 1957, he participated actively on behalf of the Nyasaland African Congress in constitutional discussions with the colonial administration.
to study economics
, sociology
and political science
at Fircroft College
in Birmingham
, where he began a correspondence with Hastings Kamuzu Banda (later the first President of the Republic of Malawi). He was, it is thought, first commended to Banda in a letter (dated July 6, 1957) from Henry Chipembere, who described him as a young man he would like for his ‘extreme views’ and as 'a self-made intellectual of no university attainments who surprised all with his mental powers'. He met Banda in person in London in June of that year, when, together with Chipembere and Chief Kutanja, they met with the Colonial Secretary, Lennox-Boyd, to discuss a new constitution for Nyasaland (one which had already been roundly rejected by Nyasaland's governor, Robert Armitage). Lennox-Boyd ‘took note’ of their views but said he didn’t think Congress represented Nyasa African opinion.
In August 1958, at Banda's request, Du returned to Nyasaland and, at a meeting of the Congress in Nkhata Bay on August 1, was nominated as Secretary General of the Malawi Congress Party
. He, together with his brother, Yatuta, Kanyama Chiume
and Henry Chipembere, worked tirelessly to promote Banda's image as saviour of the native peoples of Nyasaland. Chisiza was arrested, along with other high-profile African dissidents, in the dawn raids of Operation Sunrise on March 3, 1959, when the colonial administration, responding to incidents of rioting in various areas of the country, declared a state of emergency in Nyasaland. He was imprisoned in Gwelo, Southern Rhodesia, in the European wing of the jail together with Banda, Chipembere and his brother Yatuta (and separately from many other Africans jailed after Operation Sunrise). He was released, some months after Banda, in September 1960 and in December participated in constitutional talks also involving Banda and Orton Chirwa
. Early in 1961, he visited India where he took part in demonstrations at the American and Belgian embassies protesting the CIA-assisted murder of Patrice Lumumba
, the first Prime Minister of the Congo. His pamphlet "Africa - What Lies Ahead" was published by the Indian Council for Africa. In August 1961, Chisiza was elected to represent Karonga
in the Legislative Council and became Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, Henry Phillips (later Sir Henry Phillips
).
It appears that during this early period in the run-up to independence, Chisiza and Banda had severe and sometimes heated disagreements over policy. In April 1962, together with his now-mentor Henry Phillips, he visited London
for discussions regarding Nyasaland finances. His favorable attitude toward a possible loan for a hydroelectric project to be made through the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
(opposition to which was the proximate cause, many would say, for the independence movement in Nyasaland) reportedly caused Banda to become extremely annoyed. The rift was such that, according to some reports, Chisiza resigned or threatened to resign. Some sources allege that he seriously contemplated forming an opposition party, possibly along with Henry Chipembere, once independence had been achieved.
, at which authorities from around the world presented papers on African and Malawian development
. He himself gave a presentation warning of the dangers of dictatorship
in emerging African countries. (Among his publications was the aforementioned paper entitled "Africa - What Lies Ahead?", published by the African-American Institute, New York
, in 1962). The conference was an unqualified success. In the short time of his prominence, Chisiza gained enormous respect in the west for his intellect, energy and pioneering ideas.
Jnr, was born subsequent to his death and became one of Malawi's most prominent playwrights.
Central Africa
Central Africa is a core region of the African continent which includes Burundi, the Central African Republic, Chad, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Rwanda....
.
Early life
He was born in Florence Bay (now ChiwetaChiweta
Chiweta is an area in Rumphi district, Malawi. It is located north of Rumphi. Politically, it falls within the north constituency. It has a number of villages and each village is managed by a village headman. It is undeveloped area with a high proportion of inhabitants doing small businesses. The...
or Chitimba) in the Karonga
Karonga
Karonga is a township in the Karonga District in Northern Region of Malawi. Located on the western shore of Lake Nyasa, it was established as a slaving centre sometime before 1877. As of 2008 estimates, Karonga has a population of 42,555.-History:...
district of Nyasaland (now Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
) on August 8, 1930, the youngest and eleventh child of Kaluli Chisiza, a group village headman and farmer. He, like his older brother Yatuta Chisiza
Yatuta Chisiza
Yatuta Chisiza was a former Malawian minister of home affairs who led a brief guerrilla incursion into the country in October 1967.He entered Mwanza district from Tanzania with nine others...
, was educated at Uliwa Junior Primary School and later, to the rough equivalent of sixth grade level, as a boarder at Livingstonia
Livingstonia
Livingstonia or Kondowe is a town located in the Northern Region district of Rumphi in Malawi. It is 270 miles north of the capital, Lilongwe. The town of Mzuzu can be reached on tarred road in about 2-3 hours....
. He left school in 1949, having failed the Nyasaland Standard VI examination.
He worked as a clerk in the records office of the Tanganyika (now Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
) police in 1949 and later for four years continued his education at Aggrey Memorial College in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, where he joined and became secretary of the Nyasaland Students' Association centered at Makerere College, supporting himself with odd jobs. At this time he became an adherent of the Bahá'í Faith
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
. In 1955-6, after a stay in the Belgian Congo
Belgian Congo
The Belgian Congo was the formal title of present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo between King Leopold II's formal relinquishment of his personal control over the state to Belgium on 15 November 1908, and Congolese independence on 30 June 1960.-Congo Free State, 1884–1908:Until the latter...
in 1952-3 and another period in Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, and armed with his Cambridge Overseas School Certificate from Aggrey, he returned briefly to Nyasaland before going to work as a clerk interpreter and translator in the India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n High Commission in Salisbury (now Harare
Harare
Harare before 1982 known as Salisbury) is the largest city and capital of Zimbabwe. It has an estimated population of 1,600,000, with 2,800,000 in its metropolitan area . Administratively, Harare is an independent city equivalent to a province. It is Zimbabwe's largest city and its...
), Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
).
Deportation
In Salisbury, Chisiza joined the Mashonaland branch of the Nyasaland African Congress and was instrumental in forming the Southern Rhodesia African National CongressSouthern Rhodesia African National Congress
The Southern Rhodesia African National Congress was a multiracial political party in what is now Zimbabwe committed to the nonviolent promotion of Native African welfare. SRANC was the first fully fledged nationalist organization active between 1957 and 1959 before it was banned by the oppressive...
Youth League. Together with George Nyandoro and Edson Sithole, he formed the City Youth League (CYL), whose first major accomplishment was the 1956 Salisbury Bus Boycott. In August 1956, presumably because this was regarded as a seditious organization, he was declared a prohibited immigrant and deported back to Nyasaland where he worked in a family butchery business and actively continued political activities opposing the Federation with Rhodesia. In 1957, he participated actively on behalf of the Nyasaland African Congress in constitutional discussions with the colonial administration.
Association with Hastings Kamuzu Banda
Later that year, he went to EnglandEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
to study economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
and political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at Fircroft College
Fircroft College
Fircroft College is a specialist adult residential college based in Selly Oak, Birmingham.The college was originally founded by George Cadbury in 1909 and offers mostly short residential courses, as well as an Access to Higher Education programme and specialist courses for the over 55s...
in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, where he began a correspondence with Hastings Kamuzu Banda (later the first President of the Republic of Malawi). He was, it is thought, first commended to Banda in a letter (dated July 6, 1957) from Henry Chipembere, who described him as a young man he would like for his ‘extreme views’ and as 'a self-made intellectual of no university attainments who surprised all with his mental powers'. He met Banda in person in London in June of that year, when, together with Chipembere and Chief Kutanja, they met with the Colonial Secretary, Lennox-Boyd, to discuss a new constitution for Nyasaland (one which had already been roundly rejected by Nyasaland's governor, Robert Armitage). Lennox-Boyd ‘took note’ of their views but said he didn’t think Congress represented Nyasa African opinion.
In August 1958, at Banda's request, Du returned to Nyasaland and, at a meeting of the Congress in Nkhata Bay on August 1, was nominated as Secretary General of the Malawi Congress Party
Malawi Congress Party
The Malawi Congress Party is a political party in Malawi.It was the successor to the Nyasaland African Congress , which was banned in 1959.The MCP was founded by Hastings Banda and other NAC leaders in 1960....
. He, together with his brother, Yatuta, Kanyama Chiume
Kanyama Chiume
Kanyama Chiume , was born Murray William Kanyama Chiume, in Nkhata Bay District, Nyasaland where he became a leading nationalist in the struggle for Malawi’s independence in the 1950s and 1960s...
and Henry Chipembere, worked tirelessly to promote Banda's image as saviour of the native peoples of Nyasaland. Chisiza was arrested, along with other high-profile African dissidents, in the dawn raids of Operation Sunrise on March 3, 1959, when the colonial administration, responding to incidents of rioting in various areas of the country, declared a state of emergency in Nyasaland. He was imprisoned in Gwelo, Southern Rhodesia, in the European wing of the jail together with Banda, Chipembere and his brother Yatuta (and separately from many other Africans jailed after Operation Sunrise). He was released, some months after Banda, in September 1960 and in December participated in constitutional talks also involving Banda and Orton Chirwa
Orton Chirwa
Orton Chirwa, born Orton Edgar Ching'oli Chirwa on 30 January 1919, was a lawyer and political leader in colonial Nyasaland and after independence became Malawi's Minister of Justice and Attorney General. After a dispute with Malawi's autocratic president Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, he and his...
. Early in 1961, he visited India where he took part in demonstrations at the American and Belgian embassies protesting the CIA-assisted murder of Patrice Lumumba
Patrice Lumumba
Patrice Émery Lumumba was a Congolese independence leader and the first legally elected Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo after he helped win its independence from Belgium in June 1960. Only ten weeks later, Lumumba's government was deposed in a coup during the Congo Crisis...
, the first Prime Minister of the Congo. His pamphlet "Africa - What Lies Ahead" was published by the Indian Council for Africa. In August 1961, Chisiza was elected to represent Karonga
Karonga
Karonga is a township in the Karonga District in Northern Region of Malawi. Located on the western shore of Lake Nyasa, it was established as a slaving centre sometime before 1877. As of 2008 estimates, Karonga has a population of 42,555.-History:...
in the Legislative Council and became Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, Henry Phillips (later Sir Henry Phillips
Sir Henry Phillips
Sir Henry Phillips, CMG, MBE, was a colonial administrator in Nyasaland, later Malawi.Henry Ellis Isidore Phillips was born on August 30, 1914. He attended Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School and graduated as Bachelor of Arts from University College London, in 1936, receiving his MA subsequently in...
).
It appears that during this early period in the run-up to independence, Chisiza and Banda had severe and sometimes heated disagreements over policy. In April 1962, together with his now-mentor Henry Phillips, he visited London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
for discussions regarding Nyasaland finances. His favorable attitude toward a possible loan for a hydroelectric project to be made through the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland
The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, also known as the Central African Federation , was a semi-independent state in southern Africa that existed from 1953 to the end of 1963, comprising the former self-governing colony of Southern Rhodesia and the British protectorates of Northern Rhodesia,...
(opposition to which was the proximate cause, many would say, for the independence movement in Nyasaland) reportedly caused Banda to become extremely annoyed. The rift was such that, according to some reports, Chisiza resigned or threatened to resign. Some sources allege that he seriously contemplated forming an opposition party, possibly along with Henry Chipembere, once independence had been achieved.
Economic development
In July 1962 he hosted an economic development symposium, sponsored by the Ford FoundationFord Foundation
The Ford Foundation is a private foundation incorporated in Michigan and based in New York City created to fund programs that were chartered in 1936 by Edsel Ford and Henry Ford....
, at which authorities from around the world presented papers on African and Malawian development
Economic development
Economic development generally refers to the sustained, concerted actions of policymakers and communities that promote the standard of living and economic health of a specific area...
. He himself gave a presentation warning of the dangers of dictatorship
Dictatorship
A dictatorship is defined as an autocratic form of government in which the government is ruled by an individual, the dictator. It has three possible meanings:...
in emerging African countries. (Among his publications was the aforementioned paper entitled "Africa - What Lies Ahead?", published by the African-American Institute, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, in 1962). The conference was an unqualified success. In the short time of his prominence, Chisiza gained enormous respect in the west for his intellect, energy and pioneering ideas.
Death
Chisiza died on the night of Monday, September 3, 1962, while driving back to Zomba from Blantyre. His cream-colored Mercedes was found in a small stream bed beside a bridge at Ntondwe, on the road to Zomba. An inquest concluded he had died from a fracture at the base of his skull. He left a wife and three sons. One, Du ChisizaDu Chisiza
Dunduza Chisiza Junior was a Malawian playwright, director and actor and founder of the first professional theatre company in Malawi, the Wakhumbata Ensemble Theatre. He wrote over 20 plays and was involved in the writing and directing of some 25 others. Many of his plays had a political and human...
Jnr, was born subsequent to his death and became one of Malawi's most prominent playwrights.