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Category: On this day

“The outcome of the Constitutional Talks at Lancaster House has been in our favour. We, the Africans of Malawi, have a clear majority in the Legislative Council and an effective voice on the Executive Council. The franchise is very good though it is not one man one vote as we had demanded. Ex-service men and Pensioners will vote. We have about 80,000 of these in the country. Tax payers, Councillors and Village Headmen will vote. Even our women may vote. Nyasaland has been recognised as an African state and not a multiracial one as some people would have liked it. We have no time limit for the next stage. All these and more were achieved inspite of difficulties from stooges both black and white.

This is certainly a very big stride in our constitutional development. No colonial country has ever achieved all this at one go. We have cause therefore to be grateful to all who made this possible to come about: Our great Kamuzu and his team, Mr. Macleod and his government and also the common men and women of Malawi.

Much more so we must be grateful to God without whose help and guidance all our efforts are useless. To this end, next Sunday, the 21st of August, shall be set aside as Thanksgiving Day in Malawi. Let all our members go to Church on this Sunday. We are aware that our members belong to many religions denominations. So let everybody worship and thank God in his own denominational way. Those who worship on Friday or Saturday may take these days for Thanksgiving.”

– Malawi News, 20th August 1960

On This Day

 

“Rose Chibambo will be sworn in to-day as our first woman member of the Assembly. This is a step in the right direction. Our women have played a big role in the affairs of this country.”

– Letter to Mackay in prison

14th August 1963

 

Rose Chibambo at the Nkhota Kota Conference, Nyasaland 1960

“I am now even more determined to fight for the Freedom of Malawi as I now know you better that I did in 1958. In that year I did not know that you could stand so boldly behind me. I am now braver than when I went to Gwelo [prison].”

– H. K. Banda

Malawi News, 14th June 1960

“…Had just decided to sign off. ‘Phone. CID. I am to be prosecuted. At least I know where I stand. Bang goes the mortgage!”

– Personal correspondence; on being prosecuted for refusing to register for military service, 19th March 1963