One morning in 1974, a daring playwright and broadcaster by the name of Lucius Chikuni walked past the gates of Mudi State House in Blantyre, seeking Malawi’s founding President, Ngwazi Dr Hastings Kamuzu Banda’s approval to craft a play documenting his life.
However, the Ngwazi, in his wisdom, urged Chikuni to choose a departed patriot for his ambitious project instead.
“Within two days I had to think and sieve the options. Then the name of Reverend John Chilembwe clicked in my mind and I settled for him to feature as the main actor in the play,” recalled Chikuni in an interview with MBC. This is how the Adaferanji Radio Play depicting Chilembwe’s life was born.
File photo: Reverend John Chilembwe, wife and child.
In a gripping narrative, the radio play unfolds the story of Chilembwe’s life and quest for freedom in 1914 which subsequently led to his death.
Chikuni, pouring three months of dedication into the three-hour production, drew inspiration not only from history books like Independent African and research at the Nyasaland Times (now Times Group) but also from the oral tales of his parents and grandparents.
The play was recorded at the then Schools of Broadcasting Unit, since its inception in 1974, MBC has broadcast it repeatedly during Chilembwe Day and Martyrs Day.
Statue of Rev.John Chilembwe in London by Artist Samson Kambalu
“The journey to create the play was daunting, but failure wasn’t an option,” said Chikuni.
“Kamuzu himself eagerly awaited the play, even inquiring about the broadcast date and time,” he disclosed.
One of the actors, Boniface Chatsira, who portrayed Juma – the man who beheaded ‘Lisitoni’ (William Jervis Livingston) said though the information was dramatised, a larger percentage depicts historical facts.
Chatsira, who is also a former MBC employee, and a highly decorated radio personality, said he would love to see the play televised, a sentiment echoed by another actor Martin Chilimampunga who played John Chilembwe’s first teacher.
Martin Chilimamounga, one of the actors in Rev John Chilembwe’s play
Chilimampunga disclosed that some of the scenes were recorded outside studios.
“The part where I taught Chilembe vowels, was recorded on the banks of a river running through the townships of Chirimba and Michiru,” he said.
“The producer [Chikuni], was very serious when it came to sound effects,” added Chilimampunga.
Margret Chikwembeya, who played the girl who wanted to follow Chilembwe as he was escaping from the colonial security agents at the peak of the uprising (‘Ndinka Nanu Bambo’) described Adaferanji as monumental.
Margret Chikwembeya is one of the actors in the play.
“This is a national play. In the past five decades, no play has managed to capture the attention of Malawians like Adaferanji.”
Chikuni has had a long-standing desire to televise the play for historical preservation but laments resource constraints.
In explaining the significance of the play, Chikuni said, “A lot happened after this play was aired. For example, the Providence Industrial Mission (PIM) established a day to commemorate John Chilembwe upon listening to the play.”
Actors like Jack Bismack and Bryson Kalilani contributed to the play’s success, portraying younger and older Chilembwe, respectively.
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