By Fanwell Kenala Bokosi
Copyright mwnation
Vice-President-elect Justice Jane Ansah has said Malawi can only move forward under leaders who place the interests of the people at the centre of their service, warning that those who ignore this principle do so at their own peril.
Speaking on Wednesday at the funeral of Senior Chief Kwataine at Madzanje Headquarters in Ntcheu, Ansah—an Impi in the Maseko Ngoni establishment—hinted that the incoming administration would not be “business as usual”.
“True leadership should be people-centred. Leadership should stem from love. I am not sure if those who reign and collect everything for themselves at the expense of the poor masses can be called leaders.
“Such types do not deserve to be anywhere near leadership. That said, Chief Kwataine was a leader par excellence. The eulogies before me say it all. Leaders need to be as development-conscious and as God-fearing as the fallen iNkosi was,” she said.
Ansah, who will be sworn in alongside President-elect Arthur Peter Mutharika this Saturday in Blantyre, admitted that emulating Kwataine’s legacy would not be easy.
She said: “In every aspect of his life, he set the bar high. But we have to try in our own way. The gap he has left in his family as a father and husband, in the chieftaincy, in the church and in all the other roles he played should not scare us. We should be inspired to become better versions of ourselves.”
Her words echoed those of Ngwenyama Inkosi Ya Makhosi Gomani V, who emphasised the influence Kwataine wielded within the Ngoni leadership.
“He has had his fingerprints in almost everything we chiefs have become over the years. As you may recall, I was very young when I ascended to this throne. He, having worked closely with my father and grandfather before me, literally held my hand into the role,” said the Paramount Chief.
From Maseko Ngoni Heritage Trust chairperson Senior Chief Makwangwala, to Ministry of Local Government Principal Secretary Richard Hara, and Mayamiko—Kwataine’s last-born son who spoke on behalf of the family—the tributes carried a common thread: that the late Senior Chief was a kind and jovial soul who promoted harmony and stood for honesty in his dealings.
“That was my dad for you. He lived by his word. We will surely miss him, but I have one thing to say to his departed soul: Gonani Masina, gonani. Mbeu mwaisiyayi ibala zipatso. We will make you proud. Thank you for that selfless life, Gonani ndithu,” Mayamiko said, emotion etched on his face.
Born McJullio Castens Kwataine, the late chief died Monday at a private hospital in Lilongwe. He is survived by his wife, five children, and three grandchildren. He was 59.
