ANGLICAN-INFORMATION
Alarming political revelations in letter from former Archbishop of Central Africa

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION has received a copy of a ‘leaked’ letter from the former Archbishop of Central Africa, Bernard Malango concerning the real motivation his strategy for the elections of a new bishop for the Diocese of Lake Malawi, a story which has now been running for over two years. The letter has recently been leaked by a person who has “been appalled at the behaviour of the bishops” and the contrivance of trying to prevent the Bishop-elect of Lake Malawi from taking his see.

The contents of the letter have been circulated widely in Malawi and go a long way towards explaining the strange behaviour of the former Archbishop and his accomplices, the Rev’d Dennis Kayamba, Henry M’baya and Frank Dzantenge, in their resistance to the election of the Rev’d Nicholas Henderson, of London, UK as the new bishop in 2005.

We reproduce the contents as follows:

The Church of the Province of Central Africa
The Anglican Church in Zambia, Botswana, Malawi & Zimbabwe
The Most Rev Bernard A Malango DD
Private Bag 1
Chilema
Malawi
+265 1 539 203 (Office)
+265 1 539 207 (Residence)
+265 1 539 263 (Fax)
e-mail bernardmalango@hotmail.com

15th February 2006

Revd Father Dennis M Kayamba
All Saints Cathedral
P.O. Box 133
NKHOTAKOTA

Dear Father Dennis,

IMPORTANT MESSAGE

I have been advised by the national chairman of The United Democratic Front that the people who work in tandem with you in Nkhotakota should be only members of the U.D.F.

As you remember, our prerequisite is to make Father Henry M’baya be the boss of the diocese. This will not give us a headache since he is already a U.D.F. plant.

On this juncture, advise Father Frank of Mtunthama to convince members of the church who are pro U.D.F. and tell him that the cheque I mentioned has just arrived.

Signed: B A Malango

The Most Rev. Dr Bernard Malango

…………………………………………..……………….

Readers will no doubt understand that this letter is political dynamite in Malawi as it grants a political partisan status to a Church election.
Further:

• It explains the real reason why Malango did not want an impartial and a-political outsider like the Rev’d Nicholas Henderson as Bishop of Lake Malawi.
• It has sucked the Anglican Church in Malawi into factional politics by overtly supporting the party and candidacy of the previous President Bakili Muluzi. *
• It implicates the twice suspended, Rev’d Dennis Kayamba of Nkhotakota who has brought unsubstantiated charges of murder of the late Canon Rodney Hunter, with a probably innocent man still in prison as a result.
• There is serious implication that the Provincial House of Bishops preferred candidate, Henry M’baya, as promoted by the present acting Dean Bishop Albert Chama is in fact a political plant.
• It implicates the Rev’d Frank Dzantenge of All Saints Parish Mthunthama, in financial irregularities and bribery for political purposes.

These matters will certainly bring an already tense political situation in Malawi to a head with disastrous consequences for the Anglican Church which will now find itself at odds with the government of the day. An indication of the serious nature of the revelations comes in the following letter from the House of Laity writing in response to the leaked letter:

The House of Laity, Diocese of Lake Malawi
P.O. Box 122,
Kasungu MALAWI 13th February, 2008.

To: All Bishops of the Province of Central Africa - The Vicar General, Diocese of Lake Malawi – Archdeacons, Diocese of Lake Malawi. All Parishes, Diocese of Lake Malawi
MORE REVELATIONS OF A SCHEME THAT CAUSED REJECTION OF BISHOP-ELECT NICHOLAS HENDERSON BY THE COURT OF CONFIRMATION
The Laity in the Diocese of Lake Malawi thank and praise God the Almighty for unveiling yet more evidence why retired Archbishop Malango was so adamantly opposed to the cries of his flock in the case of rejection of Bishop-Elect Nicholas Henderson by the court of Confirmation. The attached letter is self-explanatory as to the reason why Henderson was framed and rejected. It was a pre-arranged scheme to please a political affiliate rather than following a Church process as laid down by the Canons of the Church of the Province of Central Africa for electing a bishop.

This letter, dated 15th February 2006, is evidence of a sinister scheme blessed by the former Archbishop of Central Africa Archbishop Bernard Malango, to choose a favoured personality to fill the position of Bishop in the Diocese of Lake Malawi, apparently as a favour to his personal ally, as well as for financial favours offered by the allies. Ironically, a Bishop within Malawi is even now currently going around the Diocese of Lake Malawi campaigning for the same candidate mentioned in the letter referred to above. The Laity in the Diocese of Lake Malawi are deeply saddened by the revelation and that a man of God can throw away his integrity and the integrity of the Anglican Church in Malawi, and bring turmoil in the Church for personal gains.

It is our prayer that God gives a vision to our Bishops in the Church of the Province of Central Africa to allow God carry out the process without external influence to taint what He desires.

James R. Kapala
Chairman.
* N.B. After three decades of one-party rule under President Hastings Kamuzu Banda the country held multiparty elections in 1994, under a provisional constitution which came into full effect the following year. Current President Bingu wa Mutharika, elected in May 2004 after a failed attempt by the previous president to amend the constitution to permit another term, has struggled to assert his authority against his predecessor. Mutharika’s subsequent founding of a new political party ‘The Democratic Progressive Party’ and his subsequent anti-corruption efforts have led to several high-level arrests and one prominent conviction:
Accessed on:
www. worldatlas .com/webimage/countrys/africa/mw.htm

And : Bingu Wu Mutharika’s election victory marked Malawi’s first transition from one democratically elected president to another. During the campaign, Mr. Mutharika had pledged to improve Malawi’s finances. International assistance had been cut during the previous administration of President Bakili Muluzi because of charges of fiscal irresponsibility and corruption. Accessed on: http:// voanews. com/uspolicy/archive/2004-08/a-2004-08-04-1-1.cfm
…………………………………………..

In the meantime the planned ‘forced’ election for Lake Malawi (to have been held in Malosa, Upper Shire, well outside the diocese) this Saturday, by acting Dean Albert Chama, with his preferred candidate Henry M’baya, is off. A Judge in Chambers decision in response to the House of Laity request for an injunction on any elections is further to be considered on 1st March. However, the hasty elections for a replacement to Bernard Malango in Upper Shire Diocese are still in train for Saturday 16th February. Front running candidates are Canon David Lee of Birmingham, Fr Steven Hart of the Diocese of Albany, USA and Fr Nasoro a local priest - none of whom would be suitable from Bishop Bernard Malango’s point of view. Ironically, the name of the Rev’d Nicholas Henderson was considered by a number of parishes but not put forward as he is already Bishop-elect of Lake Malawi.

ANGLICAN-INFORMATION calls on acting Dean Albert Chama to make a public statement explaining these serious revelations.

…………………END………………...

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