User:Chatonda Chibambo

Chatonda Chibambo seventh son born to Mackinley Qabaniso Yesaya Chibambo and Joyce Kelness Lungu of Ekwendeni. Born in 1961 while Malawi was undergoing a political transformation. The name Chatonda means "Conqueror". If you have read Mr Mackinley Qabaniso Yesaya Chibambo's biography then you would understand why. Educated at Mzuzu Government School and graduated in 1980 having followed the struggles that his dad went through after holding his office as the Executive Chairman for Malawi Housing Corporation, Chatonda decided to take a different direction. In 1983 Chatonda embarked on a journey to seek further education in South Africa. At the time South Africa was known for apartheid however this did not deter Chatonda from going there. In 1983 with the help of a friend, he reached South Africa and resided in Johannesburg. In 1985 he graduated from college and decided to go back home without any knowledge of what was happening in Malawi. At the time Chatonda went to South Africa, politics had changed completely. People had been executed and some had fled the country for fear of their lives. After graduating in South Africa, Chatonda's plans were to go and work in the family business upon returning. This however did not work in his favor in that while still attending school, his trip to South Africa had affected his family. This made it very difficult to return to Malawi. In 1985 as he was preparing to go to Malawi, a message was sent to him by his father who after working so many years in the government understood the consequences once he returned home. Mr Qabaniso advised his son not to return home until further notice. To his amazement Chatonda did not understand what was happening and what had implicated him in Malawi politics. However, because of his fathers advice, he decided to stay in Zambia where he applied for political asylum. After being refused political asylum in Zambia, Chatonda became very disgruntled with the condition such that he wrote a letter to the Zambian Immigration to cancel his application for political asylum. Immediately he was taken into custody. It was then that the United Nations High Commisioner for Refugees intervened. He then became a bonafied refugee under the United Nations; however, this did not increase the chances of him getting asylum in Zambia. After a year and a half of struggles he was repatriated to the United States of America. It should be explained what force was behind his desire to leave his native country of Malawi to go to South Africa. Chatonda became a very devout follower of Christ at the age of twenty when he began to search for meaning of life. Having been raised as a Presbyterian he later began to get involved with non presbyterian congregations where he experienced a supernatural change. It was this experience that led him to leave Malawi and seek education even further. Just like his father, he was determined to fulfill a goal and void that he had seen in the Christian religion because of his father's experience when he married his mother. This void was not only seen in his father's experience but also in his grandfather's who was a historian and also a minister in the Presbyterian Church that was established at Ekwendeni. His grandfather who was also educated, wrote a lot about the dissatisfaction of the early missionaries. Having experienced this information, Chatonda was determined to find the truth and find it at all cost. He questioned things that did not work for the common good or the advancement of other people. At the age of twenty this became his primary focus.