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Rose Chibambo Quotes
1928–2016 Malawi
Rose Lomathinda Chibambo (8 September 1928 – 12 January 2016) was a prominent politician in the British Protectorate of Nyasaland in the years leading up to independence as the state of Malawi in 1964, and immediately after.
Random Rose Chibambo quote
17 quotes
They used to shape it in such a way that it would fit here (gestures to the ear) and make you beautiful.
I believe that we all have a destiny in life. If you follow it, God will always reveal things that you should do. Also, never deviate from doing what is right.
But on the end of the right-hand side there are people who are izinduna. And on the left too, it’s the izinduna. So that at the middle are the owners of the village.
Boys didn’t put in reeds, it was only girls. Boys would use what was known as vikono, more like a bracelet. The cutting was very painful.
And when my dad saw it, he said, ‘Who did this?’ And he knew the man. Said, ‘I’m going to scold him. I told you not to do this. Now why did you do it?’
I wish I gave my children a proper education; you know nobody can replace a mother’s love
The book contains Rose Chibambo’s story in her own words. But that is not all. The book also contextualises that story by giving information about that particular historic period
He used ka knife…a very sharp knife; mxamati. So that was the reason my father didn’t want me to do it. He said, ‘No, you should not cut it.’
I do not dabble in appeasement. Speaking your mind is not being disrespectful. Malawian tradition has that flaw and it affects women a lot. I believe that nobody should hesitate to speak what they feel.
You journalists must be strong, nobody wants to hear the truth, and you have to be strong because you are speaking for the silent. There are so many people whose chests are full but have nowhere to complain and when you write they feel relieved and hope that someone somewhere might have listened.
All I cared for was a free Nyasaland
I said, ‘My friends were laughing at me.’ So then he kept quiet. He didn’t go to the man to scold him. My father understood that it was really just me…that man was innocent.
I am now tired, my dear. I used to rear chickens but stopped in 2010. I sometimes go to the women fellowship and we have a prison group, we go to prison to give them soap, sugar, bread and things they don’t usually have.
I don’t see anybody who can express their real feelings. Politics of today is still that of praising the leader. People don’t seem to think. All they are thinking about is what I can say to praise the leader.
Although you try (laughs) so that by the time you get home everyone could see kuti ah ah, this one has been to the river, to a dam. So by the time I got home then I would pretend I hadn’t been anywhere. She would say, ‘Ah, why are your eyes red?’
‘In contrast with the neighbouring peoples, the Ngoni had no facial or body markings, and it was the pierced ears which showed that they were true Ngoni. In the days of warfare, captives, especially boys and men, were forcibly made to have their ears pierced….
I went with my friends, then they cut me. I came back. And now blood was oozing. Mother saw it, ‘Where did you go? Who did it? How did you go alone? But you know what Dad said about this. Oh, you will see.’
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