1. According to archival government records, Chilebwe was gunned down by three men on Wednesday the 3rd February 1915. These were: Garnet Kaduya, Private Nasulo and Sergeant Useni. All these three were fellow Africans not whites
2. This followed the proclamation (below) published on the 27th January 1915 by a Blantyre resident Lewis Traherne Moggridge that a 20 Pounds reward would be given to the one who would capture Chilembwe and several of his lieutenants.
3. Evidence suggest that the alleged Chilembwe was unarmed but was shot dead mercilessly
4. Private Nasulo fired first, but the alleged Chilembwe appeared to have been partially wounded.
5. Then Seagent Useni fired again but he still stood
6. Finally Kaduya fired and hit him through the head where upon he fell down
7. The three would have captured the alleged Chilembwe alive and brought them to Zomba. But they agreed not to for fear of his many of his sympathizers across Mulanje boma. Hence they decided to shoot him dead on the spot.
8. Chilembwe sympathers and relatives maintained that it was not Chilembwe who was shot dead by the three soldiers, but his brother James Bwanali, othes said it was Morris Chilembwe.
The million kwacha question is: WAS REALLY THE MAN THAT WAS KILLED ON 3RD FEBRUARY IN MULANJE JOHN CHILEMBWE AND NOT HIS BROTHER AS ALLEGED BY FAMILY MEMBERS AND HIS FOLLOWERS ?
Former official historian of the Malawi Defence Force (MDF) Lieutenant Col. James Njoloma who distinguished himself as a specialist on 1915 Chilembwe Uprising and had written articles and book (s) discussing in detail the 1915 Chilembwe Uprising having consulted relevant historical records from MDF, argued with certainty that John Chilembwe escaped over to the border into Portuguese East Africa (Mozambique) where he finally died of natural causes in 1932.
According to historian Inno Chanza, Lieutenant Colonel Njoloma was also a close relative to the Chilembwe family.
*© Lost History Foundation*
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