THIS DAY IN HISTORY: 7th March 1959

THIS DAY IN HISTORY: 7th March 1959 - Kanyama Chiume, a leading member of the Nyasaland African Congress (NAC) fled Africa and went into "hiding" in London, Britain, when the colonial power arrested leading members of the NAC, including Hastings Banda the NAC President, in dawn raids. A state of emergency was declared and the NAC banned. Chiume had been in Kenya at the time of the arrests.

The NAC emerged in 1943 as the umbrella nationalist organisation which campaigned for independence from British colonial rule. In an attempt to retain control and power, the British promoted the formation of the Central African Federation (CAF) in 1953, a kind of semi independence which it hoped would appease the African majority, bringing together Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia), and Nyasaland (now Malawi). The CAF was strongly opposed by African nationalists and lasted just over 10 years.

Banda and others were released from prison in 1960, and along with Chiume engaged in talks with the British colonial authorities in London, which eventually led to a new constitution and independence on 6th July 1964, when Nyasaland became Malawi under the leadership of Banda

Chiume became Minister for Foreign Affairs following independence, but was forced into exile once more when he fell out of favour with President Hastings Banda following a cabinet crisis soon after independence was granted. He spent the next 30 years residing in Tanzania returning to Malawi in 1994.

The following is an audio interview with Kanyama Chiume:

http://vimeo.com/32421225 [1]
Amma Fosuah
"ALWAYS BEAR IN MIND THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT FIGHTING FOR IDEAS, FOR THE THINGS IN ANYONE'S HEAD. THEY ARE FIGHTING TO WIN MATERIAL BENEFITS TO LIVE BETTER AND IN PEACE, TO SEE THEIR LIVES GO FORWARD, TO GUARANTEE THE FUTURE OF THEIR CHILDREN." AMILCAR CABRAL