Henry Masauko Chipembere

Henry Masauko Blasius Chipembere (5 August 1930 – 24 September 1975) was a Malawian nationalist who played a significant role in bringing independence from colonial rule to his native country, formerly known as Nyasaland. From an early age Chipembere was a strong believer in natural justice and, on his return in 1954 from university in South Africa, he joined his country’s independence struggle as a nationalist strategist and spokesman. In 1957, considering that the independence movement need such a leader such as Kwame Nkrumah, and considering himself too young for this, he joined with other young nationalists in inviting Hastings Kamuzu Banda to return to Nyasaland as the movement's leader.

From 1958, Chipembere orchestrated a campaign of civil disobedience against the colonial authorities that Banda insisted should be non-violent, but which the younger leaders allowed to become more violent and which eventually led the governor of Nyasaland to declare a State of emergency over the whole protectorate in March 1959, to the arrest of Chipembere, Banda and other leaders of the Nyasaland African Congress and the deportation 72 of them to Southern Rhodesia, to the banning of that party and to 51 African civilian deaths. Chipembere was imprisoned until late 1960 and, shortly after release, was prosecuted for sedition and imprisoned again until early 1963. Despite policy disagreements with Banda, on his second release Chipembere became a minister in Banda's cabinet in the run up to independence in July 1964. Barely a month later, Banda's autocratic style led to the Cabinet Crisis of 1964 in Malawi, when a majority of ministers who voiced opposition to his style of government and several of his policies were sacked or resigned. Chipembere was not initially involved in this dispute and although he did resign in sympathy with his colleagues, he attempted reconciliation through September 1964, until he and other ex-ministers were forced to leave the capital, Zomba, because of the hostility of Banda's supporters. After several months in Fort Johnston district, he and a few hundred supporters attempted an armed revolt in February 1965, which soon failed.

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