KELVIN KACHINGWE, Lusaka
YOU just have to look at the faces that attended his funeral to know that he was no ordinary man. Yes, he was one of the most eminent urologists in the country, but there was more to him than just being a medical practitioner.
Well, he also knew that.
He believed that he was born to lead at a higher level.
“I come from the royal family. And I think it is one of the things which, is sort of, inborn in me – to be a leader,” he told Lusaka literary journalist Sam Kaseba in an interview in 1998.
“I want to enter politics at a very high level, because I feel that the grassroots are well-organised. It is at a higher level that politics in Zambia is not organised.”
An East Germany-trained urologist, Dr Manda’s role models happened to be Dr Martin Luther King Jr and President John F. Kennedy of the United States of America.
With his roots being in Mwanya area in Lumezi, Eastern Province, he hailed from the Mwase Royal family where he could probably have been entitled to a leadership role. But being a matrilineal society, it is his cousins who reigned. And although his mother is from the courts of Chief Kambwili, even there, he could still not get a leadership opportunity.
He was eying his chances in 2001.
Briefly, he was chairman of health in the then newly formed United Party for National Development (UPND). However, he had also formed a political party called Men Women and Youth Alliance (MWANYA).
Dr Manda believed that seriousness was lacking at the higher level of Zambian politics, and it is there that he intended to put things right – as a man who was born to lead at a higher level.
“We have unfortunately, most of the old generation which is not in touch and in tune with the modern way of running politics,” he said. “We want to do things differently.”
Dr Manda stood aloof from his peers of the older generation because he believed modern politics should not be about heckling and shouting the loudest but management of the citizens and country’s resources.
With that, Mr Kaseba asked him at what level he thought he could manage national affairs differently.
“After much evasion and justification, he coolly concedes, ‘I can do more at presidency level’. In addressing the ‘lack of seriousness at higher levels, he has consulted among others, friends and relatives and colleagues who have pledged their support,” Mr Kaseba wrote.
Dr Manda, who was born on January 28, 1946, was the third child of Miya and Amon Manda of Mufulira. He attended primary education at Lumumba Catholic School and briefly at Chasa Catholic School before moving to Libala Secondary School in Lusaka, where he was a chief prefect.
Later, he studied and worked for 14 years in East Germany where he was also an African Students Union leader. But before leaving for Germany, he briefly worked at the Zambia Broadcasting Services (ZBS) as an announcer.
Like Dr Manda, Dr Manasseh Phiri also had a background in broadcasting.
Following Dr Manda’s death, Dr Phiri paid his own tributes: “Dr Manda was a leader of our people…that is what he taught us. He taught us that this [medical] profession is about leadership. It is not just for saving their lives but serving the community.
“He had that kind of influence that we need to have. His achievements were not just in the operating theatre, but also in being human and available to people,” Dr Phiri said during a professional service held for Dr Manda at the University Teaching Hospital (UTH).
A controversial figure sometimes because of his stance on many issues, his contribution to society cannot be overlooked.
As the country’s first urologist, Dr Manda, who died last Friday and was buried on Sunday, is credited with the setting up of the urology department at UTH.
According to the American Urological Association (AUA), urology is a surgical specialty which deals with diseases of the male and female urinary tract and the male reproductive organs.
Although urology is classified as a surgical specialty, knowledge of internal medicine, paediatrics, gynecology and other specialties is required by the urologist because of the wide variety of clinical problems encountered.
Minister of Health Joseph Kasonde has praised Dr Manda for his efforts.
“Dr Manda was not scared to criticise my ministry. He was bold and wanted the best for his country,” Dr Kasonde said during the professional service.
That he wanted the best for his country is not in doubt, the reason why even on the Manzi Therapy programme on the Zambia National Broadcasting Corporation Radio Four, where he was discussing sexual and reproductive health, Dr Manda was always commenting on other social and political issues.
We shall really miss him. So free when he was talking about health issues. “MAYO MULALUFYANYA, KUMUNYU TAKUFWAYIKKWA UKUSAMFYANKO NAMENSHI AYAKABA”. kUFWAYIKWA AYATALALA ELYO KWIKALA UKUNONO”.
MHSRIP
MWANYA!!
WE ARE ALL BORN SPECIAL
i will miss him very social,humble,very frank,down to earth,teacher at the same time.MHSRIP
May his soul rest in peace
We’ll miss the big man. I had an opportunity to meet him last year this time at Crossroads in Kitwe. We spent a good four hours discussing health, politics and many social issues. The man was a real giant. Indeed May His Sour Rest in the peace of the LORD.
Haaaa (sigh)…no words really…its really sad….
who takes over MWANYA party.
May his soul rest in peace.
MWANYA, Phweeee! MAULESI. RIP.
Let’s have a convention of MWANYA party!! I need a ka position in there! MWANYA FORWARD!!!!!
Imwe tamumfwa ayi..Kikiki. I thought I had it in me, awe nachepa sana. Creativity, meet moma. Humble disciple, so!
What did this doctor die of.i have never understood zambia and it’s secrecy over cause of death. Rest in peace. Am sure he was frustrated by the pf
His heart stopped beating, fool.
Nice one, Czar!!!!
That is the diagnosis the pf gives due to load shedding in hospital. Therefore they cannot use equipment to get an accurate cause of deat.vote upnd
Vote UPND so that personal medical records are made public. Fool!!!!!!
Kiki a pf diagnosis
So you fools in UPND do not understand that medical records are confidential?
If you are a public figure what is there to hide. Why so you feel the need to complicate things. We need to rid off the stigma associated with certain diseases especially hiv. Let us be mature. After all if you are not ill then you affected
We shall greatly miss this humble son of Africa. RIP big man.
This honourable man deserved a state funeral.
DR MANDA ,GOD WILL REWARD YOU FOR WHAT YOU DID FOR MANKIND.
RIP.