Today, March 3rd, 2025, President Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, alongside First Lady Monica Chakwera, led the nation in commemorating Malawi’s fallen heroes during the annual Martyrs’ Day remembrance in Nkhatabay. The day marks the tragic events of March 3, 1959, when scores of brave Malawians were killed during clashes with the colonial government after the State of Emergency was declared.
Hundreds of leaders from the Nyasaland African Congress, which later became the Malawi Congress Party, including Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, were arrested and detained in Kanjedza and Gweru Prison, now located in Zimbabwe. While the crackdown affected many districts, Nkhatabay bore the brunt, with over 30 lives lost as the colonial regime brutally resisted the push for majority rule.
In a solemn ceremony, President Chakwera and the First Lady laid wreaths at the site believed to be the final resting place of those who died in the struggle. However, the actual mass grave remains undiscovered, as colonial authorities secretly buried the bodies to prevent the site from becoming a political symbol.
Today’s commemoration not only honored those who gave their lives for Malawi’s independence but also served as a reminder of the ongoing search for justice and recognition of their sacrifice.
