Background
He was born February 23, 1920, at Mzimba.
He was born February 23, 1920, at Mzimba.
Educated locally, he was trained as a teacher at Livingstonia Mission.
From 1939 to 1942 he taught at Emoneni School and at Enkondhlweni, studying in his spare time to obtain a General Certificate of Education. In 1942 he joined the British army and served in India, Ceylon and East Africa before being demobilised in 1946 as a warrant officer class II. He resumed teaching and in 1948 he was sent on a course to England to qualify as an inspector of schools.
A fervent nationalist, he joined the Malawi Congress Party and was elected to the National Assembly in 1961 for Mzimba South. In 1963 he resigned his seat to become Speaker. After independence in 1964 he joined the cabinet. In 1966 he was Minister of Health and in 1968 he becam: Minister of Education. He worked alongside President Banda in 1969 as Minister of State with responsibility for Foreign Affairs. In 1970 he became Minister of Health again and stayed there until his reappointment as Speaker in February 1971.