By Jones Gadama
Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Hon. Dr. Ben Malunga Phiri, is mourning the death of Malawi Broadcasting Corporation Director General Brian Banda with a heart heavy with grief and gratitude.
In a tribute released Saturday, Dr. Phiri described Mr. Banda as “the special one” who gave ordinary Malawians a voice through public broadcasting.
“Brian oh! Brian O’Banda,” Dr. Phiri wrote. “It has taken me time for the reality of your demise to sink in. You were the special one. You gave us a platform to be heard. What a legacy! What a standard you set for the industry.”
Visibly touched, Dr. Phiri said he finds solace in Mr. Banda’s faith. “I find solace in knowing that you served our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ with all your heart.
It’s now time to wear your crown for your race is ran and you reached the finish line. Receive your servant Dear God and give him rest.”
He ended his tribute with a farewell that carried both love and finality: “Fare thee well my dear brother and friend. Gonani bwino Banda.”
The Minister said Mr. Banda’s professionalism and warmth made him more than a colleague in government communication, but a brother.
Recalling the pain of parting, Dr. Phiri borrowed from Shakespeare’s _Julius Caesar_, where Brutus tells Cassius: “If we do meet again, why, we shall smile. If not, why then, this parting was well made.”
“For Brian, I pray we meet again and smile,” Dr. Phiri said. “But if not, then this farewell, though painful, was well made. Malawi has lost a servant who used the airwaves to build, not break. I will miss him dearly.”
