♫And when I die, I’ll keep on living♫ Real Milli Vanilli from their song titled ‘when I die’.

As part of preserving the history of Malawi, and in particular, about the people who left a mark on the nation, the country has, so far, three mausoleums for notable people. The first is for the first head of state Ngwazi Dr. H. Kamuzu Banda. This mausoleum is close to the Malawi parliament building at city centre, Lilongwe. As a public place, visitors are most welcome to the site. You don’t want to return to your country without visiting the place where the first head of state was laid to rest.

In Thyolo district, Southern Malawi, another mausoleum for the third head of state, Dr. Bingu Wa Mutharika, stands. The mausoleum was constructed by personal resources in preparation for his death in later years. At the time of his burial, foreign dignitaries including head of states and other public figures witnessed the burial ceremony while seated right inside the elegant mausoleum. Curious visitors can visit the site after properly following clearance procedures.
For the northern region; plans are underway to rebuild a decent, befitting mausoleum for the freedom fighter Thom Chakufwa Chihana who first challenged the un-democratic Kamuzu Banda. He spent time in jail but was later released. And multiparty democracy was ushered in through a referendum held in 1993. Thanks for the fearless spirit in Chakufwa Chihana that laid the democratic foundation for the freedoms and human rights we enjoy today.