Former Deputy Minister of Education and Member of Parliament during the Bingu wa Mutharika regime, Olive Chidothe Masanza on Saturday launched two books – Origins of Mang’anja People and Princess of Fate at Golden Peacock in Blantyre.
Masanza, who also celebrated her 74th birthday during the launch, said she was excited to launch the two books. She said authoring the two books also underscores her passion for writing and that through her works; she also wants to document the history of the Mang’anja people.
“Nowadays, we have a generation that does not know its history; it does not know where it is coming from but we need to preserve this.
This is what compelled me to write and I would love these books to be read in schools,” she said. Former Malawi Writers Union (Mawu) President Sambalikagwa Mvona, who edited the work, described as exciting, educative and inspiring.
“For instance, in Origins of the Mang’anja People, the author tells us that no matter the differences we may have because of nursing trivial grudges, most Malawians belong to one mother, one clan and one tribe,” Mvona said.
Chairperson of Gender Coordination Network and Executive Director of Women’s Legal Resource Centre Maggie Kathewera Banda dared women in the country to write in different languages. “We need to write because women are good storytellers. Let me commend Olive Chidothe Masanza for taking that step and showing women out there that we have potential,” Kathewera Banda said.
She also said that Masanza’s move has spurred them to also look deeper into the other sectors including arts in terms of encouraging women to rise up apart from politics.
“We still want to maintain the 50-50 representation and this also needs to take shape in the world of writing,” Kathewera Banda, who with her husband bought the two books at a total of K400, 000, said.
Professor George Kanyama Phiri also applauded Masanza saying she has done a commendable job by authoring the two books and show Malawians that, we have work to do in terms of documenting “our history.”
“There are not enough books out there that are looking into our history and so, I am happy that we are walking this path so that we have more material on the ground,” Kanyama Phiri said. Several people bought the two books during auction.
