Communications specialist Chikumbutso Mtumodzi  has written a book about the country’s second democratic president Bingu Wa Mutharika, a fest he described as a product of resilience.

The book, titled Single-Faced Bingu, was supposed to hit the shelves 10 years ago. But, according to the author, due to political circumstances, a police raid at his house in December 2010 resulted in part of the manuscript of the book being confiscated by the law enforcers.

Mtumodzi: People need to peep into what Bingu was like in his private life

Mtumodzi said while that hiccup delayed his plans and altered the scope and focus of his narrative, it did not kill his desire to bring out a story about one of the divisive and exciting characters in Malawi’s political history.

He said: “What I had in mind then and what I have now is different. Yes, 10 years is a long time and a lot has changed. Even myself as an individual, my views towards life have changed.

“I am focusing on things that interest people. It is not just a biography or the facts they already know about him.”

The author said the book centres on areas that are not known to the public because he is speaking as one of the few people who knew Mutharika before the ‘Lhomwe people engulfed him and made him their tribal champion’.

“People need to peep into what he was like in his private life, in his official life, what he ate, what he liked doing, what his attitude was like, among other things.  

“And he was the same person. The same face. No change in public and in private. He was a single-faced Bingu. That’s why I have opted to use that title,” he said.

Mtumodzi, who is director of information in the Ministry of Information, said readers should expect to see and read things that they have never heard about his private life such as the number of children he had.

He said the book will be a narrative that everyone will want to read because he has dwelled on themes that are peculiar and inconspicuous.

He said:”Malawi has had Kamuzu Banda, Bakili Muluzi, Bingu, Joyce Banda, Peter Mutharika and now Lazarus Chakwera as its presidents. None of these has had a book written about them by someone who was close to them.”

The writer said for one to appreciate the measure of a real man, it is when they are in their actual natural form, before they become rich and famous and that is how he has captured the Mutharika narrative.

Commenting on the development, human rights lawyer Chrispine Sibande said Malawi needs many of such books even on themes such as Muluzi and the third term bid, the fallout between Mutharika and Muluzi, Bingu versus Joyce Banda and other political events.

The book is being published in Malawi and according to the author, it should be on the market by March.

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