Chipembere. The Missing Years

by Colin, Baker

Masauko Chipembere (1930-1975) was an important and controversial figure in Malawi's recent independence history, and a central actor in the nationalist movement. When he died, aged 45, his autobiography – published as Hero of the Nation. Chipembere of Malawi (Kachere Series, 2002) – remained incomplete.

This extensive biography of one of Malawi’s most important historical figures aims to provide coverage of the missing events in the subject’s own autobiography: the 1959 state of emergency, his years in detention and prison, his periods of ministerial office, including as a cabinet minister, the 1964 revolt against Banda, his attempted coup d’état in 1965, and his subsequent flights and exile in Tanganyika and the US.

The author centres his narrative around Chipembere’s own writings, many of which remain unpublished to-date. These documents are mainly correspondence with political figures of the day, articles in journals, and transcripts of speeches and seminars. They are transcribed and documented in full text to produce a unique work that is at once a biography of key figure in Malawi’s recent political history, a compendium of the subject’s own previously unpublished works, and an insightful study of Malawi’s recent history.

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