President Dr Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera has called for patriotism among Malawians, stressing that this is key to the realization of the country’s development agenda.
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The President has also challenged Malawians to work hard and make use of locally available resources to develop their communities without depending on external support on everything.
Chakwera made the remarks in Nkhata Bay during the commemoration of the Martyr’s Day, which commemorates lives of forefathers who were killed by the whites while fighting for the freedom of this country.
The Malawi leader urged Malawians to draw lessons from the martyred ancestors who used the tools that were available to fight against the whites.
“Our parents also showed us that a good citizen uses the available resources. When the Europeans from Southern Rhodesia heard that our ancestors were in trouble here in Nkhata Bay, they sent tanks and military vehicles to deal with them, and when the people of Chitipa heard this, they started putting trees on the roads to prevent the vehicles from passing. They did not allow the unavailability of guns and other weapons to fight for our freedom to prevent them from using the resources they had. So we also want to fight the poverty that has spread in this country, let’s grow by using the tools and wisdom we have.
“When the whites of Southern Rhodesia heard that our ancestors were in trouble here in Nkhata Bay, they sent tanks and military vehicles to deal with them, and when the people of Chitipa heard this, they started to put trees on the roads to prevent the vehicles from passing. They did not allow the unavailability of guns and other weapons to fight for our freedom to prevent them from using the resources they had. So we also want to fight the poverty that has spread in this country, let’s grow by using the tools and wisdom we have,” said Chakwera.
Chakwera said the martyrs who died for the freedom of this country also showed that a good citizen does not allow foreigners to take advantage of the country’s owners.
They said it was sad that even though they had lived in this country for fifty (50) years, they were still not satisfied with the imprisonment of the Malawians.
“In 1953, the colonialists made a decision to join our country to the Federation of Rhodesia, which had a tyrannical leadership. It was that day when our parents said enough is enough. It was that day when our parents realized that a foreigner should not be allowed to steal your wealth. And at that time it got to the point where any Malawian who was found talking to the colonists was stigmatized as a Capricorn, a person who sold his own country. So while enjoying this example, we also need to realize that other immigrants in this country,” Chakwera said.
