By Vincent Gunde
Since 2016 Bantu Saunders Jumah’s name has been hitting various radio stations and social media platforms through his audio and video clips advocating for the country’s change in governance and human rights for all Malawians to feel that they are part of the government of the day.
Some other people have seen this great man and orator face to face and others see him through his video clips, but, they fail to know him that who is this great man Bantu Saunders Jumah and what made him to be a Revolutionary and become a Revolutionary leader of Muvi wa Chilungamo Revolutionary Party (MRP)?
28th December, was his official birthday and his birthday message did go to the people of Africa particularly – Malawi where most of the people have of late come to know him that he is one of the courageous sons of Malawi.
Born between 28th December, 1964 to 1966 at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Malawi, Bantu Saunders Jumah was born from the poorest and vulnerable parents, grew up by the grace of God, a year after birth, parents divorced and was left under custody of the mother as per tradition.
At the age of 18, Jumah went into exile in Tanzania to fight against dictatorship of Kamuzu Banda and his archaic rule of forcing citizens to fund his political party- MCP and any development he made in the country personal or public, he joined liberation movements of LESOMA, MAFREMO and MADU in Tanzania and Mozambique.
Jumah became Commissars’ that secretly transported written materials that by then, were regarded as seditious and treasonous into Malawi, efforts were intensified to notify the international community particularly “Paris Club” to withhold aid and budgetary support into Malawi until Malawi was open for multiparty democracy.
The Paris Club responded positively and so was the Vatican, pressure mounted from within and outside in exile, Kamuzu Banda had no chance but to accept the ‘will of the people’ that on the 14th June, 1993 Referendum Day- ” the country chose freedom and democracy and democracy was born.
The same year, political parties were legalized that saw the birth UFMD in Zambia which brought together all liberation movements in exile led by Orton Edgar Ching’oli Chirwa in Prison, Harry Bwanausi, William Kanyama Chiume and Attati Mpakati in exile.
The United Front for Multiparty Democracy (UFMD) appointed Jumah as its Coordinator responsible for sensitization and Awareness campaigns to citizens of Malawi in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, and South Africa, Frederick Ebert Foundation of Germany in Zimbabwe helped and funded the initiative.
‘When Referendum was won and multiparty democracy born, an Amnesty was granted to all exiled leaders that were known as Dissidents to return home,” the beginning of the new chapter in Malawi.
Speaking on his auspicious birthday on 28th December Bantu Saunders Jumah has thanked his family for believing in him, taking care of him, his area Blantyre Rural West for working with him in the struggles and all Africans with the same dream.
Jumah has finally advised patriotic Malawians wanting their country to change from abstract poverty to prosperity that they will never achieve anything if they don’t envision it saying thoughts are things wishing Happy birthday to himself.