Gondwe talks biography as she launches debut book

By Sam Banda Jnr

Former Cabinet minister and member of Parliament during Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda’s regime, 78-year-old Queen Gondwe, on Saturday launched her first book How to Raise a Spiritual Child at Ryalls Hotel in Blantyre.

It was a special moment for Gondwe during the launch that attracted several wellknown players in the political, religious and business spheres including members of Parliament Chipiliro Mpinganjira and Mark Katsonga Phiri.

Presided over by Minister of Gender, Community Development and Social Welfare Patricia Kaliati, who showed up late as she had to travel from Lilongwe where she was attending another event, the book fetched over K1 million during auction.

Kaliati, who bought the book at K150, 000 welcomed the book saying it had come at the right time as the country was battling cases of gender-based violence (GBV).

“It is an important book and I wish it came earlier as we are right now experiencing challenges such as early marriages and GBV. If we had this book earlier within the family set-up, we could not have been experiencing GBV,” Kaliati said.

She said, at 78, Gondwe had shown that one could write regardless of age. Gondwe, who has for years been advocating women’s and children’s rights, was over the moon with the launch of her first book.

“I feel happy and proud. I thank God for bestowing me with wisdom and intelligence to come up with the book,” she said.

Gondwe said the book was timely.

“We have so many challenges children are facing as well as parents, especially with technology, and it has become a challenge for parents to raise their children. So, I thought of sitting down to write something that will guide parents to raise their children spiritually,” she said.

Gondwe said she, at first, only had thoughts but eventually thought of putting them down.

“With Covid-19 pandemic lockdown where I had to stop doing inspection with my Non-Governmental Organisation.  I started writing day and night and it took me almost nine months,” she said.

Now that she has launched her debut book, next up for Gondwe is a biography that will see her putting into detail the journey she has travelled to be where she is today.