Mbendera burial Sat at HHI: Emotional tribute from Dzonzi
The remains of Malawi Electoral Commission (Mec) Chairperson, Maxon Mbendera, who died on Thursday, will be buried on Saturday at HHI Cemetery in Blantyre, the family has announced.
The cousin to the deceased, Hastings Thembakako said Mbendera , who was a judge of the Malawi Supreme Court of Appeal funeral ceremony will take place on Saturday.
Mbendera was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at Lilongwe Private Clinic after he had collapsed during a meeting at the office of the Auditor General in the capital city.
Born on November 4 1958, Mbendera, who was among distinguished lawyers conferred the honour of Senior Counsel (SC), was appointed judge of the High Court of Malawi by former president the late Bingu wa Mutharika on September 12 2009 and on December 14 2012 former president Joyce Banda promoted him to the Supreme Court and later Banda appointed him chair of MEC in October 2012 to now retired chief justice Anastasia Msosa .
An emotional tribute was made by former Inspector General (IG) of Malawi Police Lot Dzonzi.
Dzonzi, who is also a prolific writer, described Mbandera who also served as Attorney General, as humble man who helped him a lot during college days.
He issued this statement: “I arrived on Chirunga Campus in October 1980 wearing patapata,with a single pair of trousers and one shirt. A final year law student spotted my lack. One Wedneday evening as we came out of a SCOM meeting he invited me to his room.We walked down to Dunduzu Hall. Once in his room he open his wardrobe and invited me to pick two pairs of trousers,three shirts and a jacket. That law student was Maxon Mbendera.
“A few months later he walked into Cafeteria A with his girlfriend Ida Ndovi. They got their food and found a table.They walked to the taps, whilst washing their hands another student approached Maxon and hit him real hard on the face.The whole cafeteria went silent and waited to see how the whole saga would unfold. How would a SCOM chairman who has been embrassed in front of his girlfriend and in the presence of over a hundred student witnesses respond. Maxon simply said God bless you. He walked back to his table and continued to eat and chat with his girlfriend like nothing happened.
“A few days later somebody knocked on the door of his room he opened and saw the student who hit him, he invited him into the room.Once inside the guy told Maxon that until that moment in the cafeteria he hated his Jesus and he hated Maxon too but now had realize that Maxon was not fake,HE WANTED TO KNOW HIS JESUS.”
Prior to his appointment as judge, Mbendera had an illustrious career in private practice through the legal firm, Mbendera & Nkhono Associates where he was a partner.
As MEC chair, the usually calm and collected Mbendera will be remembered for publicly and uncharacteristically weeping on May 30 2014 as he announced final results of the May 201 2014 Tripartite Elections at the National Tally Centre in Blantyre.
His gesture shocked many Malawians, especially coming against a background of reports of disagreements among MEC commissioners on results
He confessed that he had an emotional attack after realizing that he was about to make a declaration that would spark wild celebrations for the winning party when one family elsewhere was mourning.
Born on November 4, 1958, Mbendera hailed from Kapala Village in the area of Traditional Authority Chakhumbira in Ntcheu and is survived by a wife and four children .
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Why did he announce the results during midnight.
Why did he weep
He betrayed Malawians look how Malawians are suffering with these stupid so called leaders
He messed up as chairperson of MEC we can’t condone this may his soul rest i eternal peace.
A very inspiring gesture indeed by the late Maxon Mbendera. The testimony itself shows how humble Lot Dzonzi himself is for not so many people would come out and reveal their humble beginnings to the public as he has done after attaining such success himself. Indeed, such was life in pre parallel progamme days. All students were like one family, more so if you belonged to the same religious grouping as was the case here. Once, you were at college, the poor forgot their poverty because you ate the same food as everyone else, slept in the same rooms as… Read more »
Mbendela was a corrupt Lawyer who had betrayed his own profession and tossed Malawian voters into the mouth of a marauding lion.No regrets,even the gates of heavens won’t be opened for him SORRY!!!
Ooooh thank you so much brother Dzonzi for sharing this powerful and amazing story about late Justice Mbendera. He was not an ordinary person. That is what Jesus can do to people who confess Him.
Yes extra ordinary indeed. It’s a shame millions of Malawians will never know this. Unfortunately he lived and dined with thieves and corrupt people so his goodness was eclipsed by their bad smell and he ended up smelling like them. We have such people among us and my advise to them is to desist from associating with thieves. May be General Maulana is like Mbendera except that Maulana refused to associate with thieves so they nicked him out. If you ask him He will tell you that he feels happy and free that he had said no. He has peace… Read more »