July 2020

Dear baNyaZiba,

Greetings from Timwa, one of your many admirers.

Remember me? I am the woman who asked if I could enter into your world for some time, and you welcomed me and gave me space.

What will always stand out for me is how I boarded the bus to Mzuzu, then found my way to your home at Kaning’ina. What I didn’t know was that you had driven to the bus stage to meet me. When we finally met, we laughed about this incident like old friends, and yet we had just seen each other for the first time. For me, that act of driving out there to meet someone you had never seen before was a mark of your generous spirit.

I salute you for sharing your life story, your joy, your pain. I salute you for your love of life, and for always wanting to help others. What stands out for me is your way of telling a story, the way there was no self-pity, even as you described painful events. I also remember your great sense of humour as you described growing up.

I admire your strength, your get-up-and-go spirit. Even when other voices were trying to overpower yours, like that day on 8^th September, 1964, your birthday, you spoke in Parliament, trying to explain your position during the Cabinet Crisis. What a birthday, baNyaziba! No birthday wishes, just interruptions throughout your speech.

If I can hold on to my principles no matter what, and if I can make the most of my resources, like you did, then I will definitely feel a sense of accomplishment.

Speaking of voices, I didn’t get to tell you that you had such a lovely singing voice. I remember you singing Uingwe Uingwe Jere, oh yawo eh. Now that was a moment.

 Thank you for making the book possible. You live on, baNyaZiba.

Love, Timwa