Background
He was born on January 29, 1929, in the Chief Kapeni area outside Blantyre.
He was born on January 29, 1929, in the Chief Kapeni area outside Blantyre.
Educated at Bemvu Primary School, then the Henry Henderson Institute until 1947 when he went to Blantyre Secondary School. After two years at the Teachers’ Training College at Domasi he qualified and started teaching in 1951.
At the end of nine years in primary schools he was awarded a place at Bristol University, England where he obtained a diploma in education in 1960. He returned to the Henry Henderson Institute as a primary teacher in 1961 then he was promoted district education officer at Blantyre in 1961. After gaining a diploma in education administration from the University of Perth, Australia, in 1963 he became tutor at Soche Hill Teachers’ Training College. He was appointed headmaster of Soche Hill Secondary School in 1964 but he left at the end of the year for Ottawa University in Canada where he was awarded his BA degree in 1969.
Back home again, he was appointed education officer at the Ministry of Education in Blantyre in 1969. He was recalled to Domasi to be principal of the teachers’ training college in March 1971 but nine months later, on December 8 1971, he became nominated MP for Blantyre.
He was made Parliamentary Secretary at the Ministry of Education on January 10, 1972, and then promoted Minister there on February 28, 1972.
Five weeks later he was promoted again—to Minister of Finance. On January 23, 1973, he completed a project close to his heart in signing an agreement with the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organisation for the promotion of fisheries development. At the dismissal of Aleke Banda on March 8, 1973 he acquired the extra portfolios of Trade, Industry and Tourism.
Matenje mysteriously died in 1983, along with ministers Twaibu Sangala, Aaron Gadama and Member of Parliament David Chiwanga. The four were collectively known as the 'Mwanza Four'. They were known to be critical of aspects of the totalitarian rule of Kamuzu Banda. They died mysteriously in 1983. Their death was ruled as a traffic accident by the Kamuzu Banda regime, although independent investigations indicate that this may have not the case.
Kamuzu Banda, John Tembo, MacWilliams Kalemba, Augustino Likaomba and Cecilia Kadzamira, were arrested for and charged with the murder of the four in 1995, ten years after their death. They were acquitted due to lack of evidence.
