Friday, February 03, 2012

How long?

Happy new year folks. I hope 2012 will be a better year for Malawians especially. 2011 was such a debacle, horrible and a year to forget. The economic downturn, violent demonstrations, police brutality, degenerating rule of law and other thorns in the flesh. It was a year I was also nearly punched up by a female pastor when I tried to reason with her over empathy in a community!! Throw in the sudden departures of Osama bin Laden, Muammar Ghaddafi...you have such an extraordinary blood-tainted year.


This morning I was shocked by details on the death in police custody of Edson Msiska in Mzuzu. I broke down and cried as I heard that the post-mortem indicated strangulation and multiple wounds as some of the causes of the demise of the student who was being detained on some petty issues. I said: How long Lord Jesus? How long God Almighty, shall Malawi continue to experience such brutality from law enforcers? If God lives, may something happen to stop this barbaric and satanic behaviour.

Then I heard about the passing on of Mayeso Chirwa, a longtime friend. Mayeso's uncle Griffin Mhango used to play with my uncle Don Mlenga in a local band called Kalimba in the 1980s. I met Mayeso at MBC over a decade ago. We used to practice music together trying to emulate the greatness of our uncles. I played the guitar while he was on the piano. Sadly Mayeso left for another job in Lilongwe and our vision of having a band never materialised. He came over to Blantyre some months ago and he seemed to be in good health. We didnt talk much as Mayeso was busy, and that has proved to have been our goodbye. What a man! Rest in Peace DJ Jeso.