HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Chakufwa Chihana (23 April 1939 – 12 June 2006) was a
Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...
an human rights activist, pro-
democracy Democracy (from , ''dēmos'' 'people' and ''kratos'' 'rule') is a form of government in which political power is vested in the people or the population of a state. Under a minimalist definition of democracy, rulers are elected through competitiv ...
advocate, trade unionist and later, politician. He held the post of Second Vice President in Malawi, under President
Bakili Muluzi Elson Bakili Muluzi (born 17 March 1943) is a Malawian politician who was President of Malawi from 1994 to 2004. He was also chairman of the United Democratic Front (UDF) until 2009. He succeeded Hastings Kamuzu Banda as Malawi's president. He al ...
. He is often called the 'father of Malawian democracy'. He served as leader of Malawi's first underground political movement, which urged President
Hastings Kamuzu Banda Hastings Kamuzu Banda ( – 25 November 1997) was a Malawian politician and statesman who served as the leader of Malawi from 1964 to 1994. He served as Prime Minister of Malawi, Prime Minister from independence in 1964 to 1966, when Malawi was ...
, who had ruled for three decades, to call for a referendum on political pluralism. He was awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award in 1992.


Early life and career

Chihana was born in Mhuju Village, Kawiluwilu, in the Northern Region of Nyasaland (Colonial
Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...
). His father died when he was young and he was raised by his mother, an activist for local women. After secondary school, he worked for the colonial government and became active in the 4000-strong Commercial General Union, a
Trade Union A trade union (British English) or labor union (American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers whose purpose is to maintain or improve the conditions of their employment, such as attaining better wages ...
. In 1958, he became the union's publicity secretary and magazine editor. The following year, aged 21, he was made secretary-general of the Trade Union. He was active in campaigns involving Malawi Railways and the Imperial Tobacco Group. He studied at Oslo and Dubrovnik universities and received a master's in politics at Bradford University. He worked as a lecturer at the
University of Botswana The University of Botswana (UB) was established in 1982, as the first institution of higher education in Botswana. The university currently has three campuses: one in the capital city Gaborone, one in Francistown, and another in Maun. The Unive ...
. In 1985, he became a co-founder and secretary general of the Southern Africa trade union coordinating council.


Political activism


Anti-colonial struggle

Chihana joined the anti-colonial Malawi Congress party (MCP) that was spearheading opposition to the (
Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, also known as the Central African Federation (CAF), was a colonial federation that consisted of three southern African territories: the Self-governing colony, self-governing British colony of Southern ...
) and to British rule in
Nyasaland Nyasaland () was a British protectorate in Africa that was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Between 1953 and 1963, Nyasaland was part of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. After ...
. By the end of 1963 the federation had collapsed and Kamuzu Banda became prime minister of the newly independent
Malawi Malawi, officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northeast, and Mozambique to the east, south, and southwest. Malawi spans over and ...
. As Banda began to consolidate his power after his presidency, Chihana continued to support independent trade unions and political democracy. As a result, Banda dismissed Chihana from the MCP. He was ordered into internal exile and assaulted. He escaped secretly into
Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
, through help from a Roman Catholic Priest. He continued to criticize Kamuzu Banda in Kenya while working as an adviser to the Kenya Federation of Labour.


Political exile and arrest

He was a dissident during the rule of President
Hastings Banda Hastings Kamuzu Banda ( – 25 November 1997) was a Malawian politician and statesman who served as the leader of Malawi from 1964 to 1994. He served as Prime Minister of Malawi, Prime Minister from independence in 1964 to 1966, when Malawi was ...
and consequently spent much of the 1970s and 1980s either in detention or in exile. As a trade union leader and pro-democracy activist, Chihana was detained upon his abduction and subsequent return from exile from Kenya in 1970. During his seven-year sentence he was tortured, and spent five years in solitary confinement. A
Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...
, Chihana was later critical of the church's silence following his detention. However,
Amnesty International Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says that it has more than ten million members a ...
named him a
prisoner of conscience A prisoner of conscience (POC) is anyone imprisoned because of their race, sexual orientation, religion, or political views. The term also refers to those who have been imprisoned or persecuted for the nonviolent expression of their conscienti ...
, and was instrumental in his eventual release. He was released in 1977 but continued to protest against one-party rule. At this time, he traveled to England to study at
Nuffield College Nuffield College () is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is a graduate college specialising in the social sciences, particularly economics, politics and sociology. N ...
,
Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...
.


Work with SATUCC

He continued to work with trade unions in southern Africa; in 1985, he became the co-founder and secretary general of the southern African trade union coordinating council.


Second exile and arrest

In 1992, he returned to Malawi for a democratic conference. There he called Banda's party "a party of death and darkness" and called for a multiparty system. Following the speech, he was arrested and sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labor for
sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech or organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, establ ...
. However, pressure continued to mount, and Banda agreed to a
referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...
, held on 17 June 1993, in which one-party rule was decisively rejected. Chinana was released four days before the referendum in part due to US Vice President
Al Gore Albert Arnold Gore Jr. (born March 31, 1948) is an American former politician, businessman, and environmentalist who served as the 45th vice president of the United States from 1993 to 2001 under President Bill Clinton. He previously served as ...
, who had summoned the Malawian ambassador to the White House to protest Chihana's detention and call for the introduction of democracy.


Rise of political parties and foundation of AFORD

He was the founder and leader of the political movement Alliance for Democracy which became a political party once it became legal to establish political parties in Malawi. Other parties formed then as well including
Bakili Muluzi Elson Bakili Muluzi (born 17 March 1943) is a Malawian politician who was President of Malawi from 1994 to 2004. He was also chairman of the United Democratic Front (UDF) until 2009. He succeeded Hastings Kamuzu Banda as Malawi's president. He al ...
's United Democratic Front (UDF). In the ensuing
general election A general election is an electoral process to choose most or all members of a governing body at the same time. They are distinct from By-election, by-elections, which fill individual seats that have become vacant between general elections. Gener ...
Banda's party, the
Malawi Congress Party The Malawi Congress Party (MCP) is a political party in Malawi. It was formed as a successor party to the banned Nyasaland African Congress when the country, then known as Nyasaland, was under British rule. The MCP, under Hastings Banda, pre ...
(MCP), lost power to
Bakili Muluzi Elson Bakili Muluzi (born 17 March 1943) is a Malawian politician who was President of Malawi from 1994 to 2004. He was also chairman of the United Democratic Front (UDF) until 2009. He succeeded Hastings Kamuzu Banda as Malawi's president. He al ...
's United Democratic Front (UDF), with Chihana's new political party, the Alliance for Democracy (AFORD), placed third. Ironically, in spite of Chihana's prominence as the leader of democracy in Malawi, the leader lost elections to the charismatic
Bakili Muluzi Elson Bakili Muluzi (born 17 March 1943) is a Malawian politician who was President of Malawi from 1994 to 2004. He was also chairman of the United Democratic Front (UDF) until 2009. He succeeded Hastings Kamuzu Banda as Malawi's president. He al ...
who had been living outside of the country. Muluzi became the first democratically elected president of Malawi but appointed Chihana as the Second Vice President under his administration.


Political career

Chihana served as
Vice President of Malawi Vice-President of Malawi (; ) is the second highest political position in Malawi. The Vice-President is elected on the same ticket with the President of Malawi, President. The President can also appoint a Second Vice-President if he desires. T ...
under President
Bakili Muluzi Elson Bakili Muluzi (born 17 March 1943) is a Malawian politician who was President of Malawi from 1994 to 2004. He was also chairman of the United Democratic Front (UDF) until 2009. He succeeded Hastings Kamuzu Banda as Malawi's president. He al ...
from 1994 to 1996 and again from 2003 to 2004. The period saw the political decline of AFORD under his leadership, shrinking to only two seats in the 193-seat parliament by 2006. Chihana also entered into a damaging feud with the
Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian The Church of Central Africa Presbyterian (CCAP) is a Presbyterian denomination. It consists of five synods: one in Zambia ( Zambia Synod), one in Zimbabwe ( Harare Synod) and three in Malawi – Livingstonia Synod in the north of the country, N ...
, warning them to stay out of politics. According to ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'', he failed to manage the growing
food crisis A famine is a widespread scarcity of food caused by several possible factors, including, but not limited to war, natural disasters, crop failure, widespread poverty, an economic catastrophe or government policies. This phenomenon is usuall ...
in the nation during his second term, leading to his resignation.


Death

He died after a brain tumor operation in
Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and Xhosa language, Xhosa: eGoli ) (colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, Jo'burg or "The City of Gold") is the most populous city in South Africa. With 5,538,596 people in the City of Johannesburg alon ...
, South Africa on 12 June 2006 at the age of 67. He received a state funeral. He is survived by his wife Christina Chihana, son Enoch Chihana, and two daughters, Nina and Tawonga.


Awards

* Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award - 1992


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chihana, Chakufwa 1939 births 2006 deaths People from Rumphi District Alliance for Democracy (Malawi) politicians Alumni of the University of Bradford Amnesty International prisoners of conscience held by Malawi Deaths from brain cancer in South Africa Malawian democracy activists Malawian trade unionists Vice-presidents of Malawi Alumni of Nuffield College, Oxford Academic staff of the University of Botswana Malawian prisoners and detainees Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award laureates