Dunduzu Chisiza

**Dunduzu Kaluli Chisiza** (8 August 1930 – 2 September 1962), wey people too dey call am **Gladstone Chisiza**, be African nationalist wey take part for de independence struggle for Rhodesia den Nyasaland, wey now be Zimbabwe plus Malawi respectively.

## Early life den education
Chisiza be born on 8 August 1930 for Florence Bay (wey now be Chiweta or Chitimba) insyd Karonga District of Nyasaland (wey now be Malawi). He be de youngest plus eleventh kiddies of Kaluli Chisiza, wey be village headman plus farmer. Just like ein senior brother Yatuta, he get ein education for Uliwa Junior Primary School den later go as boarder go Livingstonia Mission. He lef school for 1949 sake of say he no pass ein Standard VI exam.

Chisiza travel go north enter Tanganyika (wey now be Tanzania), where for 1949 he do small work as clerk for de police records department for Dar es Salaam. He go study for four years for Aggrey Memorial College for Uganda, where he get Cambridge International General Certificate of Education. As he dey there, he join plus become secretary for de Nyasaland Students' Association wey dey active for Makerere College for Kampala, and he dey do small small work to support ein self. During dat period, he join de Baháʼí Faith, but he later comot sake of say de religion no dey support political involvement. He talk say e be "religion for free people wey demma countries free from foreign domination." For 1952 plus 1953, he follow American-led team wey do study tour for de Belgian Congo (wey today be Democratic Republic of de Congo).

## Activities insyd Rhodesia
Chisiza return small time go Nyasaland, before he go Southern Rhodesia for 1953, where he work as clerk interpreter plus translator for de Indian High Commission for Salisbury (wey now be Harare). One of ein duties be say he dey publish regular information bulletin. As he dey stay for Salisbury, he dey live for Matapi Hostel, plus he join de Mashonaland branch of de Nyasaland African Congress. He come begin join body plus Rhodesian anticolonial activists like James Chikerema plus George Nyandoro, and for 1955, he be one of de people wey start Southern Rhodesia African National Congress Youth League. Together plus Nyandoro plus Edson Sithole, he form de City Youth League (CYL), wey ein first major work be de 1956 Salisbury bus boycott. Dem deport am from Southern Rhodesia go back Nyasaland for September 1956.

## Activities insyd Nyasaland
Insyd Nyasaland, he start work for ein family ein butchery den he still dey do ein political activities, wey include say he dey against de Federation of Rhodesia plus Nyasaland. For 1957, he take part for constitutional discussions plus de colonial administration on behalf of de Nyasaland African Congress. For 1957 plus 1958, he live for Birmingham, England, where he attend Fircroft College. For there, he study economics, sociology, plus political science, wey ein focus be de economics of developing countries. As he dey England, he start dey write letters plus Hastings Banda, wey later become de first President of Malawi. Dem believe say Henry Chipembere be de first person wey recommend am to Banda for one letter wey dem write for 6 July 1957. For inside dat letter, Chipembere describe am as one young man wey Banda go like sake of ein ‘extreme views’ plus say he be ‘self-made intellectual wey no go any university but ein mental powers dey shock everybody’. He meet Banda face-to-face for London for June of dat same year. For there, he, Chipembere plus Chief Kutanja meet de Colonial Secretary, Lennox-Boyd, make dem talk about new constitution for Nyasaland—wey de Nyasaland governor, Robert Armitage, already reject well well. Lennox-Boyd talk say he go ‘take note’ of wetin dem talk, but he no believe say de Congress dey represent Nyasa African opinion.

Insyd August 1958, as Banda ask am, Chisiza come back insyd Nyasaland. For meeting wey de Congress hold for Nkhata Bay on 1 August, dem nominate am as Secretary General of de Malawi Congress Party. He, ein brother Yatuta, Kanyama Chiume plus Henry Chipembere work hard no be small to make Banda ein image shine as de saviour of de native people dem for Nyasaland. Chisiza be strong organiser for de Nyasaland African Congress den he be part of de close group wey meet for 24–25 January 1959 to talk say make dem change from only non-violence to violence if e need. Dem arrest Chisiza plus other high-profile African dissidents for early morning raid wey dem call Operation Sunrise on 3 March 1959, as de colonial administration declare state of emergency for Nyasaland sake of de rioting wey happen for different parts of de country. Dem carry am go prison for Gwelo, Southern Rhodesia, where dem keep am for de European section of de jail plus Banda, Chipembere plus ein brother Yatuta (wey different from de many other Africans wey dem jail after Operation Sunrise). Dem release am some months after Banda, for September 1960, den for December he take part for constitutional talks wey Banda plus Orton Chirwa too join for London. Dis talks be de Lancaster House Constitutional Conference, den de Federal Review Conference, wey dem organise to review de Federation of Rhodesia plus Nyasaland. Early 1961, he go India where he join demonstrations for de American plus Belgian embassies to protest de CIA-assisted killing of Patrice Lumumba, wey be de first Prime Minister for Congo. Ein pamphlet wey dem title *Africa – What Lies Ahead* come out under de Indian Council for Africa. Insyd August 1961, Chisiza win election represent Karonga for de Legislative Council, den dem make am Parliamentary Secretary to de Minister of Finance, Henry Phillips (wey later dem call Sir Henry Phillips).

E clear say during dis early time before independence come, Chisiza plus Banda get strong den sometimes hot disagreement over policy. For April 1962, Chisiza plus ein mentor Henry Phillips travel go London for talk about Nyasaland ein finances. Chisiza ein good mind toward one possible loan for hydroelectric project through de Federation of Rhodesia plus Nyasaland (wey many people talk say be de direct reason wey make de independence movement start for Nyasaland) make Banda vex plenty. De issue become big so say, some reports talk say Chisiza resign or threaten say he go resign. Some sources even claim say he seriously think about starting opposition party, maybe together plus Henry Chipembere, after independence reach.

## Economic development
Insyd July 1962, he host one economic development symposium wey de Ford Foundation sponsor. For dat place, big people from different parts of de world come present papers on African plus Malawian development. Chisiza himself give one presentation wey warn about de danger of dictatorship for new African countries wey just dey grow. (One of ein publications be de paper wey dem mention earlier wey ein title be *"Africa – What Lies Ahead?"*, wey de African-American Institute for New York publish for 1962). De conference go well without any problem. Inside de small time wey he shine, Chisiza earn big respect for de West because of ein brain power, energy plus de fresh ideas wey he bring.

## Death
Chisiza die for 3 September 1962 as he dey drive go back Zomba from Blantyre. Dem find ein cream-colour Mercedes insyd one small stream bed wey dey beside one bridge for Thondwe, along de road to Zomba. One inquest talk say na fracture for de base of ein skull kill am. He lef behind ein wife plus three sons. One of dem, Dunduzu Chisiza Jr., wey dem born after ein death, turn one of de most known playwrights for Malawi.

## References



## External links

* "Remembering Du: an episode in the development of Malawi's political culture", by Joey Power. African Affairs, Vol 97, Number 388, July 1998.
* "Dunduzu Kaluli Chisiza", by D. D. Phiri ().
* "Crisis in Rhodesia", by Nathan Shamuyarira, Andre Deutsch, 1965
* "Historical Dictionary of Malawi", by O. Kalinga, C. Crosby, London: Scarecrow Press 2001
* "Kamuzu Banda of Malawi", by J Lwanda, Zomba: Kachere 1995
* Chisiza, D. "The Outlook for contemporary Africa". The Journal of Modern African Studies, 1, 1 (1963), pp.&nbsp;25 –38.