Background
The Cabinet Crisis of 1964 occurred in September 1964 barely three months after Malawi attained independence on 6 July 1964. It emanated from an irreconcilable rift between the Prime Minister, Dr. Hastings Banda (later Malawi’s first President) and his cabinet ministers.
Subsequently, under the umbrella of Ufulu Umodzi Malawi Party (UUMA), an armed group of 17 exiled Malawians led by Malawi’s former Minister of Home Affairs, Yatuta Chisiza (who had resigned during the cabinet crisis of 1964) entered Malawi border through Mwanza on Saturday 30th September 1967 with a mission to militarily topple the regime of Dr. Banda but did not succeed.
One major casualty of the 1964 cabinet crisis, was the free discussion of the political and economic history of the country and above all the production, documentation and dissemination of the history at large.
For almost 30 years since 1964, during national festivities when the political history of the country was expressed and re-enacted on radio, in news- papers, at national and local party gatherings and in schools, a version of history was presented that was specifically designed to personally please and glorify none other than Dr. Banda.
The version of history that was being inculcated in the minds of the new generation of Malawians was that which had to be approved by Dr Banda himself.
It is Dr. Banda’s own version which became the official history, and anybody departing from it was regarded as anti- government, a ‘rebel’, a ‘confusionist’, an ‘ungrateful’ person and, therefore, someone deserving detention without trial.
The October 1967 Mwanza ‘war’, marked the end of military resistance to Dr Banda’s dictatorship and almost smothered all anti-Banda political activity amongst the Malawians in exile.
Rationale
The October 1967 Mwanza ‘war’ is a critical episode in Malawian history. It reveals the courageous determination to overthrow the oppressive and dictatorial regime of Dr Banda within the context of the cabinet crisis of 1964.
It is a sadly overlooked episode in many narratives of the struggle for democracy and against the one party rule in Malawi.
Throughout Dr. Banda regime and up to now, the accounts of the October 1967 Mwanza ‘war’ and the cabinet crisis of 1964 have been discussed with a bias towards the official narrative given by the one party state of Dr. Banda.
The year 2018, marks exactly 54 and 51 years after the October 1967 ‘war’ in Mwanza and the cabinet crisis of 1964 respectively.
It is against this background that a Seminar on the October 1967 ‘War’ as an aftermath of the cabinet crisis of 1964 is being organized as part of mending our Malawi history with an aim to draw important lessons from these two important aspects for Malawi today as it forges ahead in the future.
Venue: Zomba, (venue to be confirmed later)
Duration: One day (8:30-16:30hrs)
Date: Saturday, 13 October 2018
Those interested to participate at this seminar should contact the organizing committee for further details.
Appeal for financial support
An appeal is being made to well-wishers for financial support to fund this seminar. The cost items include transport, meals, refreshments, venue booking, and communication. Individuals can pick out any cost item and contribute finds to settle that particular budget item.
For further details about the budget, please contact the organizing team.
Contacts for the organising team
For any inquiries, contact the organizing team:
E-mail: p.chinguwo@historyofmalawi.com; +267 745 26943 (whatsapp) or +265 888 388 044 (for calls)
Twitter: History Mw
Facebook page: Malawi Lost History
Website: www.historyofmalawi.com
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