MY MALAWI, MY HISTORY: REFLECTIONS ON REVEREND. JOHN CHILEMBWE AND THE JANUARY 1915 UPRISING
January 15th is the first Malawian Public Holiday celebrated in the year, on this day we commemorate and reflect on Reverend. John Chilembwe. As I delve into my thoughts and views on this topic, I wish to recognise what brought me here to write about Rev. John Chilembwe. The title offers an indication to my personal interest in my country of birth; Malawi, and its rich fragmented history.
I remember this historical figure Rev. Chilembwe from the Malawian Kwacha currency. At the time he featured on every single Malawi kwacha note (now, he appears on the MK500 and MK2, 000 notes). His Excellency, who bore the title The life President of Malawi, Ngwazi, Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda, also appeared on different currencies in the past and presently appears on the MK1, 000 note. Currently Malawi has diverse faces on the Malawi Kwacha, including Late Rose Chibambo, the first woman to appear on Malawian currencyand first female cabinet minister on the MK200
On 23rd January, 1915, the Rev. John Chilembwe led a short-lived but violent uprising in the then British Protectorate of Nyasaland, what is now modern day Malawi. This was a blow to Britain’s possessions in South-East Africa and the actions of Chilembwe proved to be monumental to Colonial Nyasaland at the time and serves to offer to Malawians insights of the country’s immense history (Malawian Historian, John McCracken).
There is a call for more African writers and scholars to contribute to the knowledge and stories of their countries and the continent in general. These contributions have become paramount for many reasons, one which is the need for Africans to write and speak about their own stories, understanding and perceptions of their histories and identifies. You also most certainly do not have to be an academic or expert to write about these stories. For me I just write thoughts and feelings that have conjured in me as I begin to uncover different layers of vast knowledge that this continent contains.
Additionally, it is well known that most African history is oral and in past generations has been passed on in this way. This was further exacerbated by colonialism then, due to low levels of education offered to natives (normally up to lower or middle primary school, which meant very few got access to education, reading and writing) so evidently much of what was captured about colonies and protectorates at the time reflect one sided views, the well known stereotypes at the time equating Africa as a dark continent full of savages waiting to be saved from their barbaric ways. As more Africans got educated more African names emerged in writing about the continent, the likes of Chinua Achebe, Ngugi Wa Thiong’o, Wole Soyinka, Late Professor David Rubadiri, Dr. John Mbite (who is a writer on African Philosophy and Ubunthu) and numerous other writers and academics currently on the continent.
Rev. John Chilembwe was born in about 1870 near Tsangano Hill in Chiradzulu District. His father was Chilembwe and his mother was Nyangu, a lady of chiefly ancestry. It is said that his mother was married once before marrying his father, there was a total of 5 children in their family. In about 1890 at the age of 20, he attended the Church of Scotland Mission School in Blantyre. He made the acquaintance of Joseph Booth, a missionary. Comments on the personality dispositions of Joseph Booth indicate that he was a somewhat radical fellow who influenced Chilembwe’s consciousness. It was Joseph Booth who brought Chilembwe to the United States to study at Virginia Theological Seminary and College, Lynchburg, Virginia (1890 -1900). He was awarded A.B. and B.D. in absentia, in 1901.
During his studies, Rev. Chilembwe would become aware of Trans-Atlantic slavery in the USA and the various abolition movements. He would have witnessed the oppression of his fellow black Africans, who were working on plantations for slave masters. He learnt of Haiti and Haitians who defeated French Colonialists in 1804, which was a slave uprising. 1915 was a year after the Great World War 1 which began in 1914, where Nyasaland soldiers, known as the King African Rifles, mostly stationed up north fought on behalf of the British against German Tanganyika (now modern day Tanzania). Rev. Chilembwe is known to have made several attempts to the British about his grievances and those of his counterparts to take part in a war which largely did not concern the natives. He wrote a letter which was published on 25th November 1914, however with controlled and increased censorship the letter with the complaint was never circulated.
AFRICAN GRIEVANCES
The coming of white settlers and subsequently British rule ushered into African life problems which had not existed before, in particular, land issues that chiefs had given away or had been seized and divided out forcibly. The land issues brought in the infamous Thangata or labour rent system, where the tenant was compelled to work for his landlord without pay, for a third month the tenant worked for the landlord who paid him what he thought was worth. Those tenants who failed to turn up when summoned were evicted from this land. Further more in other occasions native women were raped and tax collectors even harassed penniless widows. Chilembwe vehemently despised the Thangata system,similar systems were also adopted in other British colonies. Rev. Chilembwe was key in spearheading responses against oppression in Nyasaland, which also included the formation of several Associations, such as The African Christian Union. On 14 August, 1909 the Natives Industrial Union was established with Chilembwe as its chairman. The Union was interested in promoting and protecting the interests of the members of the Chilembwe circle; interests included: commerce, professional services, communication, teaching, and administration. Upon his return from USA, Chilembwe built several churches and schools for natives, most of which would be burnt down by the Colonial rule at the time.
As a testimony to Rev. Chilembwe, on 15th January every year, there is a memorial service and laying of wreaths at Providence Industrial Mission in Chiradzulu. PIM was built originally by Chilembwe upon his return to Colonial Nyasaland in 1903, it was subsequently destroyed and burned down during the uprising by colonial masters and rebuilt again in 1926, PIM was build on 93 acres of land purchased by Rev. Chilembwe.
On building PIM Chilembwe had a vision of wanting to educate his fellow natives. He further held a vision to provide relevant education for the indigenous and empower them with the rightful skills to survive colonial Nyasaland and possibly the world. There is a school of thought that suggests that Rev.Chilembwe was the first native to go outside Nyasaland.
In the voices from Chilembwe rising by Malawian Historian, John McCracken as well as other records point out indigenous Africans that were educated at the time, the likes of John Gray Kufa and David Kaduya, who also took part in the uprising. Rarely do we get told enough about the educated natives at the time. In the testimonies given by some natives in the uprising commission, they stated of discrimination faced from some white men who resented Africans talking to them in English for they suspected they were showing off their education and claiming equality with them. White men also vehemently opposed Africans to wear a chisoti (hat) in their presence, they were always told to remove it, an issue most natives didn’t understand as white colonialists were the ones that brought hats to colonial Nyasaland.
On Chilembwe owning 93 acres of land which he purchased with the assistance of Joseph Booth, I would imagine speaks of his education and status in colonial Nyasaland, considering most land had been seized forcefully from the natives. This is in contrast to the estate of Jarvis Livingstone who is said to have owned the long sprawling Bruce Estate which was over 100,000 acres.
In a night of killing: The story of John Chilembwe by Peter Baxter documenting events that took place during the uprising, tells a story of Jarvis Livingstone’s murder and the events that followed it. Livingstone was the embodiment of white supremacy in Nyasaland and the natives despised him. He was against permission to grant grounds for Chilembwe to build his schools and prayer houses, he particularly opposed it near his Bruce Estate. Each time these structures were set up by Chilembwe and his men, they would mostly be burnt down.
Furthermore, in general the natives viewed him as arrogant, uncivil, demanding, and at times violent. If any examples were to be made among the whites of the territory, it is hardly surprising that William Jarvis Livingstone was to be the first.
THE STORY
Secondary literature indicates that the wife to Livingstone, Katherine was in another room, when a group of natives charged at her husband at the front entrance of his house. The native men immediately set upon him and stabbed him with a spear. Livingstone bled in pain but managed to scream to his wife to rescue the children and run, however before she could properly act she was pushed violently into an arm chair in the same room as Livingstone. At this point her young 5 year old daughter, Mary Nyasa was also in the room, they watched helplessly as her husband was under heavy assault and attack. Livingstone was pressed to his knees, and after two wretchedly misdirected blows, was decapitated with an axe and his head thrown towards his wife landing in her lap, their five year old daughter Mary was drenched with blood. The commotion that followed led to several other white men being attacked and two were subsequently killed, one of them on Livingstone’s khonde (veranda) before word started to spread of the targeted attacks. The head of Livingstone was taken as the natives went off to continue with the uprising.
Some, at the time felt and speculated that Chilembwe’s supporters were neither fully aware nor conscious like their leader. They probably understood that they were oppressed but perhaps, the mindset to articulate, plan and execute an uprising seemed not in their reach. Before the uprising took place, some who knew Chilembwe opposed it. Men like Joseph Bismark of Blantyre Mission and Morris Malinki of the Seventh Day Adventist Mission when approached argued with Chilembwe that Africans had not learnt enough from Europeans and therefore were not ready for independence.
Dr. Donal Brady reflecting on the action of Chilembwe,
John Chilembwe and his followers at Magomero were well along on a course of action that would bring the African desire for independence from Great Britain into very clear and ultimately tragic focus for the first time (in Nyasaland). It would very sadly result in Chilembwe's execution, the destruction of his Providence Mission, the dissolution of his movement and more rigid and onerous controls over the Protectorate by the British colonial government.
Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda (first President of independent Malawi) in one interview stated,
John Chilembwe must be given credit historically for his effort to show the British rulers the independent spirit of the people of Nyasaland. I learned several very important things about politics from the tragic events of 1915, January 23rd to be specific. Among other things, to be successful in politics, besides determination and leadership, one must have good planning, complete cooperation and dedication to the plan by others, and good timing. Planning must be perfect down to the last detail and must consider carefully, alternatives or contingencies. Cooperation and dedication is essential between all; no jealousy, no tribalism, no secret cliques. Finally, good timing is essential. There must be a ground-swell of support, complete support of all factions.
By the time the night had ended and a new dawn had come, Chilembwe was aware of the failure of the attempted uprising. His supporters did come to him either later at night or in the morning with the head of Livingstone. Chilembwe is said to have taken Livingstone’s head and held a victorious sermon over the white man. This was short lived as the uprising had been squashed and quelled.
Perhaps Chilembwe still felt in some ways that a small victory had been duly achieved. The uprising also saw natives being killed in retaliation, upon Chilembwe’s supporters fleeing from Europeans at Mandala club, some were shot before they could escape and their bodies were laid on the ground in the centre of Blantyre for passer-bys to see and be warned.
Chilembwe is said to have been killed a day after the uprising as he attempted to flee with another sympathiser, Morris, who was also his nephew. Both of them were shot near the border of Mozambique by African soldiers who worked together with colonial police, a reward of 20 British Pounds was offered to anyone who would bring him to the police dead or alive. the exact burial place of Reverend Chilembwe remains unidentified until today.
The contribution of Chilembwe and his 1915 uprising has since been talked of, learnt about and debated over the years. Whilst most laud him as the first nationalist Malawian hero, others condemn his method of execution to overthrow the Colonial Government at the time; accusing him of using the same barbaric and savage methods used by colonialists to subdue the natives. The violent act involving Livingstone’s head is widely cited as an example of brutal methods applied.
I do feel that given the context and the conscious understanding he attained, particularly from America, awoke justified anger and resentment within him. Here was an individual, given education his white superiors were exposed to; stepped in the same land they lived, only to find African American slaves equally being treated horridly. If anyone reads varying accounts of colonial history in Nyasaland they will comprehend the unjustified acts towards the natives. Although a few changes came about after the uprising including an office opened up to listen to aggrieved natives, the shackles of colonialism were still bound to Nyasaland for years to come until 1959 when Malawians from all walks of life began to take part in their liberation from colonialism.
