By Conleith Selenje
After he had been recalled by Kamuzu from England where he was studying for his higher education in Economics at Fircoft College in Birmingham,England, Dunduzu Chisiza Snr arrived in Nyasaland and joined the liberation struggle for self-rule and ending the Federation.
In 1958 he was appointed Secretary General of the Nyasaland African Congress.
In 1959 Dunduzu Chisiza Snr, Kamuzu, Masauko Chipembere, his brother Yatuta Chisiza together with other vocal and fearless leaders of the struggle were arrested in the ‘Operation Sunrise’.This was the onset of the State of Emergency on Nyasaland.
Dunduzu, Yatuta, Chipembere and Kamuzu were all sent to Gwelo Prison in Southern Rhodesia(now Zimbabwe).
It is at Gwelo Prison where Dunduzu, Yatuta and Chipembere knew the character, ambitions, plans and personality of Kamuzu Banda.
On 1st April 1960, Kamuzu was released from Gwelo Prison while the rest remained in detention as provided by amended laws regarding hard-core criminals.
The same year(27th September 1960) they were released after completing their last days of detention at Kanjedza Prison in Nyasaland.
The same year Dunduzu Chisiza Snr was appointed the Secretary General of the Malawi Congress Party(The Nyasaland African Congress had been banned and was replaced by the Malawi Congress Party).
The appointment of Dunduzu Chisiza Snr as Secretary General for the party was viewed by many as a reward to him from Kamuzu. Many suspected so because just after their release from Kanjedza Prison, Dunduzu, Yatuta and Chipembere(Prison Graduates as Kamuzu called them at the Convention) attended the Malawi Congress Party Convention at Nkhotakota.
At the Convention, Dunduzu moved a motion to make Kamuzu the Life President of the Malawi Congress Party and a motion to scrape off the Vice Presidency within the party hierarchy.
Orton Chirwa who was the Vice President and had played a vital role in the formation of the Malawi Congress Party was dumbstruck.
In the Parliamentary Elections of 1961, Dunduzu Chisiza Snr was elected MP for Karonga and at Parliament, he was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance.
Feedback: c.selenje@historyofmalawi.com
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