Mandala is one of picturesque places in the city of Blantyre, Malawi, where some of the early European settlers had comfortably established themselves for various reasons. It is not known whether the settlers had entered Nyasaland as legal immigrants authorised by the native chiefs or not.
A notable feature on this land is a facility called Mandala house which was built in 1882 and now declared a national monument by the department of antiquities. A number of historic events in Malawi are connected to this area.
- The facility, as seen in the picture, was used by the African Lakes Company in the protectorate in their pursuit of displacing slave trade which was rampant in Nyasaland.
- The African Lakes Company (ALC) was established in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1878 in direct response to Dr. David Livingstone’s plea to establish legitimate trade and commerce in Central Africa as a way of exterminating slave trade.
- In the same year (1878) John and Fred Moir, the brothers, had been appointed joint Managers of the Company in Nyasaland.
- As trade progressed; the first bank in Nyasaland and the region was opened in 1983 at the facility. The vault used for keeping money by the Standard Bank is one of the artefacts still kept at the Mandala house.
- Now under the care of society of Malawi, the Mandala house has an Archive and Art gallery where scholars and anyone interested in the histories and arts can visit. It’s worthwhile leaving the premises with a souvenir crafted by the locals.
- There is also a beautiful yard with an open-air restaurant where, today, blacks and whites mingle as the rest is history.
- A native, Rev. John Chilembwe, with intention to fight white settlers who were at loggerheads with him, had to go and tempt to steal firearms at the Mandala house for the looming struggle. It’s interesting; some missionaries had sponsored Chilembwe’s enlightenment through education before his uprising.
Therefore, when in Blantyre visit Mandala to appreciate the rich history of Malawi covering slave trade, missionary work, Rev. John Chilembwe 1915 uprising, Independence, the 1958 state-of-emergency, art and craft; and so much more. Moreover, just a few metres from the facility, is the city’s old market. References available on request.