The death of veteran politician Robson Watayachanga Chirwa has reignited debate on the need for Malawi to have a heroes’ acre.
Chirwa—who is remembered for his outstanding work when he served the nation as a cabinet minister, member of Parliament, diplomat and member of the presidential council in 1993—will be buried with full military honours.
Despite appreciating the honour, former Public Affairs Committee spokesperson, Reverend Morris Munthali, said it would have been appropriate to bury a statesman of Chirwa’s calibre at a national heroes’ acre if Malawi had one.
He further raised concern over the lack of defined criteria for identifying national heroes in the country.
But Munthali stressed that all with what the late Chirwa had achieved in his life, he qualified for such an accolade.
“We should be aware of the great things that Gogo Chirwa did for this country and it would have been only fair if he was laid next to other great sons of the nation. To us, he was such a hero we will miss his counsel and dedication to the church and his people,” said Munthali.
The man of the collar reiterated that Chirwa has left behind an unfilled gap in religion as he led an exemplary Christian life which is lacking in many believers.
Politician Dan Msowoya echoed Munthali’s concerns and wondered why the government continues to disperse its great sons in different parts of the country.
He thus advised the government to start looking into prospects of gathering all the heroes and bury them in one place as an easy way of preserving the country’s history.
Commenting on the legacy that Chirwa leaves behind, Msowoya said he set a perfect example of politics of servitude at the expense of personal gains.
“We ought to hold Robson Chirwa in very high esteem because throughout his career he never accumulated wealth through very unconventional means as is the case today. So, he was such a figure we can all emulate,” he advised.
Government spokesperson Nicholas Dausi deferred his comment on the matter until after the official mourning period of the late Chirwa.
He said: “First things first; let’s concentrate on honouring the great countryman Chirwa who has departed from our midst. Then you can ask me how far the government has gone in establishing a heroes’ acre.”
Apart from his ministerial positions, Chirwa is also remembered as the official Tumbuka interpreter for Malawi’s first president Kamuzu Banda.
He hailed from Yolamu Village in Traditional Authority Mabilabo in Mzimba.
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