The Sunday Mail
Ibo Foroma Rastafarian Perspectives
SINCE the Duke of Edinburgh’s visit in July 1964 to represent the British monarch at the Independence Day celebrations on July 6, 1964; Malawi welcomed its most distinguished guest of honour ever, His Imperial Majesty Emperor Haile Selassie who jetted in the country on August 2, 1965 for a three-day state visit.
We continue with the welcoming speech of the then Malawian President, Dr Kamuzu Banda.
“Those of you here ladies and gentlemen who do not know what is the meaning of African Unity. Perhaps a few words will give the essence of what it is all about. About three or four years ago when a number of African countries became Independent States, there were two groups, later on three.
One group was called the Casablanca group and it was composed chiefly of Ghana, Algeria, Egypt and Morocco. Another group was called the Monrovia group. It was composed of Liberia, Nigeria and a number of former French speaking countries. And these former French-speaking countries formed another group called the Afro-Malagasy group (Brazzaville group).
Some of us did not like that. And I am very very happy to say that one of those men who did not like that was His Imperial Majesty. I say some of us because I was one of those.
In 1962 in July to be exact, I went to Ghana and told my good friend Dr Kwame Nkrumah, always Kwame to me. But here I must say Dr Nkrumah.
I said to Kwame, “I do not like this business that you should have a group called Casablanca group and Tubman should have a group called Monrovia. So far as I am concerned, there is no such a thing as Monrovia group and Casablanca group. There is only one thing, Independent African States. I am going to Liberia and talk to Tubman about this as I am talking to you. I do not like the things as they are now.”
And he said, “Oh! Thank you very much Dr you go there and tell the president that I feel as you do.”
So I went to Liberia, but he was not there at that time, he had gone to Israel. But I saw his foreign secretary, his deputy president. And I asked them, “I must see President Tubman.”
They arranged a meeting between him and me in Zurich, Switzerland where he was to be. So I went there and told him everything just as I had told Kwame.
It was a pleasure to me to learn later on that His Imperial Majesty was thinking exactly along these lines. Exactly in the same terms. But he was in a much better position than I was. He was a ruler of an independent country, ancient country. What I could not do, He did. I could not express my sentiments to Kwame, Tubman and others like that. I could not invite African statesmen to meet in my country because I had no country then. Other people were in Zomba and some other people were in Salisbury.
So in 1963, His Imperial Majesty feeling strongly against these divisions of African States, called a conference in Addis Ababa. Between His Imperial Majesty and my friend Kwame Nkrumah, they had to reconcile the differences of the Monrovia group ideals on one hand and Casablanca group and see what could be made out of this conference to give birth to one organisation, one Africa.
Somehow despite all the gloomy prediction by many newspapers who were using that, something was agreed upon and it was given a name of African Unity, Organisation of African Unity (OAU).
I did not like division of African states into two cuts (groups). Almost opposing groups, one at least accusing the other of looking to West and the other accusing the other of looking to East.
To put it mildly, I did not like it not only because of that but also because it gave food to our enemies, newspapers.
“Oh Yes! We told you so! These African people cannot work together, look! They become independent, what do they do? Do they work together? No! There you have Casablanca, there you have Monrovia. Casablanca-Russia, China. Monrovia-America! You see.”
I am happy that we had a great man, a great statesman of ancient lineage. Because He alone, His Imperial Majesty alone, could have brought these two almost opposing and quarrelling groups together. The fact that He ruled an ancient kingdom, ancient empire. The fact that the whole world respected Him because of what He had done for His country, because of His stand against Mussolini, because of his stand for freedom, peace and justice, the whole world admires, respects; the whole of Africa reveres HIM.
Therefore when He told other people in one group and the other come together, they were bound to listen. This is why I feel greatly honoured. We are supposed to be a small country, a poor country, and a country with puny economy. Many people do not want to come here. In the old days they did not even know that there was a country like this one. But now to have His Imperial Majesty, a ruler of an ancient kingdom, a ruler honoured and respected by the whole world, by all races, black, yellow, white to come here is beyond description…
I cannot find an adjective good enough either in English language, in my own Chichewa, ChiZulu or any other language that I can speak. All I can say is that I am very very happy Your Imperial Majesty.
I am happy for many reasons. You see those faces here, yellow, white, black or brown. These faces before I came here and before I came from Gweru did not meet. Now they are meeting.
The mayor has quoted what you said when Your soldiers were fighting the Italians. You and I think alike. You did not want to revenge, you did not want racialism, you did not want bitterness. Is the same? I do not want revenge, I do not want racialism, I am not bitter.
Again we have something in common, you spoke about the necessity of economic development for our people. I speak the same language. Ever since I came on the political scene here, I have told my people that independence does not mean loafing, does not mean that money will rain on our heads, on our shoulders like manna from Heaven.
No! It means we have to work hard with our own hands. In this country we do not have mines or factories.
The soil is our mine. The land is our mine. Therefore I have said to my people, you have to work hard with your hoes and axes. We say “KhasundiNkhwangwa” in my own language.
