(MENAFN- The Maravi Post) Kachale Visiting the Grave of Mpakati in Harare
This morning at around 10am l went to pay my homage to Dr Attati Mpakati who has been lying in this grave, Grave Number 337 E since March 1983 at Warren Hills Cemetery in Harare. There is no epitaph nor tombstone.
Abandoned by colleagues in arms against the ruthless Kamuzu Banda regime. His colleagues include First Multiparty Malawi former President Dr. Bakili Muluzi and the current President Prof. Peter Mutharika.
Since multiparty, Malawi Ambassadors have come and gone to Zimbabwe but probably none has visited this grave, yet there was talk to repatriate his remains to Malawi during the struggle against Banda.
On 1 October I had a long discussion with Dr Muluzi at his BCA Hill residence about the need to bring Mpakati's remains to Nguludi. Malawi President Dr. Peter Mutharika was out of the country. Dr Muluzi promised to talk with the President when he returned home about that. Nothing has taken place since then as far as I can tell.
Dr Mpakati, continue to rest in peace, albeit in foreign lands.
Your LESOMA security services who spent the night with me during the night on the eve of your burial, advised me not to attend your burial ceremony, lest I would be found in the next body bag.
You were assassinated by an international conspiracy of secret services most likely including the CIA, PIDE of Portugal, and Special Branch of Malawi.
You were shot dead in Harare Gardens, according to the Zimbabwe Republic Police, after being abducted at around midnight of 23 March 1983, at Park Lane Hotel, which closed down not long after your assassination. It is now the Headquarters of the Grain Marketing Board. Your body was dumped opposite that hotel at the corner of Samora Machel Avenue and Enterprise Road.
Background
Attati Mpakati (died 24 March 1983 in Harare, Zimbabwe) was a Malawian dissident that following the death of Yatuta Chisiza - leader of the Socialist League of Malawi (LESOMA) from 1975 until his death. He was killed by a letter bomb while in exile in Zimbabwe. It is widely suspected that the parcel was sent by agents of President Hastings Banda of Malawi.
Mpakati had survived a similar attack in 1979, which President Kamuzu Banda admitted ordering it. After this first attack, which crippled both of his hands, Mpakati, together with his wife and children, first flew to London for medical treatment and then tried without success to fly to East Berlin to meet with the exiled LESOMA representative for Eastern Europe Mahoma M. Mwaungulu.
By Cuthbert Kachale
MENAFN1710201701610000ID1095962182
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.