The African Anthem-By Dr Benedicto Wokomaatani Malunga
GUEST WRITER
DR BENEDICTO WOKOMAATANI MALUNGA
Empowered with sound principles
Diligently developed
In Africa by Africans
Justified by deep passions
And profound notions
Revealed to us
Enthusiastically
By our deep thinkers
I take a cherished
Solemn vow
Like a priest
Before my admirable
Great African leaders
To declare
To the watching world
That I shall tell
A catchy rainbow tale
Of the mesmerizing majesty
Of my beloved continent Africa
With appreciation
Good will and intention
So that the greatness
Of my lovely people
May speedily and
Spontaneously spread far.
I shall creatively
Weave the true story
Of my proud
And industrious
Compatriots
With my bright
And enlightened peers
So that our
Deserved pride
And dignity
Eroded by misleading
And vicious distortions
Of our so called
Despicable bleeding
And painful past
Carried by narratives
Of spiteful strangers
Are left to perpetually rot
And quickly disappear
Into the dustbin
Of forgetfulness.
I shall candidly and loudly
Bring to the fore
Our shining
And enviable achievements
In critical fields
That matter most
Medicine one of them
By reminding
My people of
And reminiscing about
Chris Barnard of South Africa
The pioneer
Of successful heart
Transplant
I shall happilly sing
About the amazing exploits
Of our lavishly talented
Magnificently creative
Footballers in Europe
Providers of adrenaline-pumping
Recreation and entertainment
To a world that relishes
Sublime and graceful
Sportsmanship
I shall delicately deliver
Delicious and delightful
Anecdotes about
Our powerful
Transformational leaders
Nelson Madiba Mandela
And legendary Koffi Annan.
I shall wax lyrical
With dedication
And commitment
About our great
African civilizations
From Egypt in the north
To the great Zimbabwe
Where extraordinary architecture
Reigned supreme
In the South
Irrigation flourished
Along the Nile banks
And iron-smelting
Defined
Our people’s genius
Respectfully and honourably
To uplift
Their agricultural livelihood.
This is my new story
Of faith and hope
For a continent endowed
With rare resources
Capable of transforming
A ruthless world
Trying to ignore
Our conspicuous existence
While rabidly and shamelessly
Craving for our oil deposits
Rushing for our minerals
With naked aggression
Chasing our agricultural
Resources with impunity,
Benefiting from our
Hard-working professionals,
Dying for our jaw-dropping
Tourist resorts
Blessed with tranquility
Spoilt with tickling serenity
My story will speak
The language
Of collaboration
Avoiding that of
Despicable confrontation
Cultivated in Berlin of old
When the exploitative colonizer
Killed his conscience
It will espouse cooperation
And not denigration
It will promote
Clarity of thought
That built pyramids
While honing
Intellectual might
That discovered Algebra
It will advocate
The vision of unity
Pursued by Nkrumah
And distil cultural purity
Reflected by our renaissance
To reassert the greatness
Of ancient Africa
The majesty of our people
Decimated by slavery
Owners of a vibrant
Cultural heritage
That bred griots
Fashioners of their own future
Celebrated by imbongis
Winners of Nobel prizes
In a world of inequalities
Weavers of wise proverbs
Embellishing deep thoughts
Composers of great songs
Revealing moving sentiments
Writers of sparkling works
Pregnant with meaningful lessons
Scientists of phenomenal talents
Shrouded in disarming humility
Philosophers with great insights
Informed by rich history
These are the dynamic people
I call my very own
Whose lives will inform
My African Anthem.
Entebbe: 29/11/06
ABOUT THE WRITER
Dr Benedicto Wokomaatani Malunga is a versatile Malawian writer who hold a Bachelor's Degree in Education majoring in English and History earned at Chancellor College in 1986. In 1996 as a Chevening scholar he graduated from the University of Manchester with a Master's Degree in Higher Education specialising in Management and Planning. His professional doctorate was obtained from the University of Bath in 2016 in Business Administration with a bias towards Higher Education Management. Malunga has teaching and management experience in the Ministry of Education on the one hand and in the University of Malawi where he retired as University Registrar in 2022 and in DMI St John the Baptist University as the current Deputy Vice Chancellor ( Academic). Artistically, his journey commenced in 1981 as a poet and as a short story writer publishing locally in weekend papers and on the Malawi Broadcasting Corporation. Over the years Malunga has developed as an essayist and as a proven translator. He has been anthologized in local collections of short stories and poetry both in English and Chichewa. Internationally his English poetry has appeared in Tribute Magazine in South Africa and Ufahamu Jounal at the University of California in the USA has published his numerous short stories and poetry. Apart from publishing three Chinyanja poetry anthologies on his own titled MAWU KOMA AWA, KUIMBA KWA MLAKATULI, he has jointly published an English poetry anthology titled RISING VOICES he has also contributed six Covid poems to Walking The Battlefield. He has also translated Achebe's THINGS FALL APART into Chichewa. In 1985 he was winner of a national essay-writing contest organized by Quest Magazine. The World Intellectual Property Organization declared him the best creative Malawian Writer in 2002. Additionall COSOMA honoured him as the best selling poet in Malawi with his CDs and poems aired on electronic media.
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