God is Good

Of being back and 'mbalume'

One of my keen followers on this page asked last week if I had closed shop, and I promised to revive the posts this week! True, I haven't been active since the last part of 2010 for a variety of reasons.
Talking about 2010, it is a year I faced many many struggles and for a moment I felt like giving up. But I thank God He saw me through the fire and water, and I agree with my pastor that 2011 is an elevation year. I passed my driving test last month, and also what a testimony to be healed of a health problem that started in 2007 while in Sweden and defied all sorts of medication in the UK, Norway and Malawi. But now I can testify of God's grace and healing after prayer one sunday morning two months ago at my church, Word Alive. Be encouraged, don't give up, don't give in. You will soon make it through the storm to dry land!

Coming to the current situation in Malawi, I want to comment on the struggle for academic freedom by university lecturers especially at Chancellor College and Polytechnic. The heavy-handedness by the authorities in dealing with the protesting dons won't take anybody anywhere. Where has contact and dialogue gone? Where has mbalume gone? Where is tolerance and being fatherly to squabbling children?
My concern really is the aftermath of the wrangle. I foresee brain drain hitting the tertiary education sector again. Also, we are told a number cops enrolled for some courses at the university. How will they be viewed by the lecturers once classes resume? Will it all be water under the bridge? I doubt it! Uneasy relations? Most likely! That's why we need mbalume to act as a carthasis in the prevailing bad blood between the tutors and the police/state. For those who do not speak chichewa, the main local language in Malawi, mbalume is an art of persuasive speaking that wins over the hearts of the listener.

posted by Joe Mlenga @ 1:39 pm