June 2024 will likely be remembered as one of the darkest months in Malawi’s history.
From June 7, when former Cabinet minister Ralph Kasambara suddenly died following a heart attack, it has been death after death of well-known personalities until yesterday, when legendary musician Lucius Banda joined the call.
On June 17, Lucius wrote on his Facebook page a condolence message for Vice President Saulos Chilima, who died on June 10 alongside eight others in a plane crash in Chikangawa Forest.
Chilima was on his way to attend Kasambara’s funeral ceremony when the military plane he was flying in, together with former first lady Patricia Shanil Dzimbiri and others, crashed after failing to land at Mzuzu Airport.
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“Since the news of his passing, my heart has been heavy with grief. Yet, I find solace in the belief that God holds the answers to our questions,” Lucius, popularly known as ‘Soldier’ in the music circles, wrote.
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He described the fallen veep as a brother, fellow warrior, Catholic and kindred spirit.
The musician-cum-politician, who shared Chilima’s Ngoni ethnic background, called on Malawians to honour the vice president’s legacy with love, peace and tranquillity.
He had not written the epitaph from the comfort of his home, but from a foreign land.
“As I write this from my hospital bed [in South Africa], I stand in solidarity with all Malawians, the Chilima family and the UTM community, mourning the loss of a father figure, a trusted leader and a friend to many,” Lucius said.
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Nineteen days later, last evening, it was his turn to start receiving rest-in-peace messages after he died in the Rainbow Nation, where he had been receiving treatment for kidney failure for months.
Confirming his father’s death, Lucius’ first-born son, Johnny, said: “Yes, he is no more.”
UTM spokesperson Felix Njawala was lost for words following Lucius’ death. He was the party’s campaign director.
“When Chilima was coming from South Korea recently, he passed by South Africa to cheer Lucius up…We don’t know how to mourn all these people,” Njawala said.
Jane Khongwa Kachepatsonga, who starred as dancer in Zembani Band for years and was discovered by Lucius, said she was at pains over his death.
His brother Paul, who introduced Lucius to music, said the latter was an advisor and that through his music, he tackled several issues in society.
“I am sad but I just have to accept and that is what God planned. The best we can do as a nation is continue to utilise pieces of advice in his songs,” Paul said.
Lucius carved a legacy through his activist music and continued his singing even when he joined active politics prior to the 2014 elections in which he won as member of Parliament (MP) for Balaka Central Constituency.
Born on August 17 1970 in Balaka, he began his music career in the 1980s, initially gaining recognition as member of Zembani Band.
Analysts describe his music as deeply rooted in the realities of Malawian life, addressing social issues such as oppression, poverty, corruption and human rights.
He recorded his first album titled Son of a Poor Man, which became popular because of hits such as ‘Mabala’, after which he released several other albums until his death.
Before that, until August 2006, he was an MP before losing his seat after being convicted of having a fake Malawi School Certificate of Education certificate.
He was sentenced to 21 months of hard labour in Zomba prison but was released in November 2006, three months and two appeals after his arrest. This experience inspired one of his albums, Cell 51 Maximum.
Meanwhile, in the 2014 Tripartite Elections, Lucius reclaimed his Balaka Central Constituency, which he won with a wide margin against his competitors.
He lost the seat again in the 2019 elections in which he competed on UTM ticket, a party founded by Chilima, helped by several others including Lucius himself.
In January 2021, he was admitted to the hospital for high blood pressure and released three days later. A few months later, it was revealed that he was suffering from kidney failure. Until his death, Lucius, who had released a total of 20 music albums, was President Lazarus Chakwera’s adviser on youths and arts.
