GENERAL - TOUGH TIME FOR WINIKO

Tough time for Winiko By Ananiya Alick Ponje This article appeared in the Weekend Nation Television and radio drama personality Bon Kalindo popularly known as Winiko, a name he uses in acting, had tough times coping with hordes of children at Ntaja, Nkwalula and Ngao in Machinga recently. Winiko was driving one of the 25 Toyota Hilux vehicles which were on their way to a campaign rally which His Excellency the state president Dr. Bingu wa Mutharika was to hold later in the day at Mangochi Boma. The vehicles which were part of the presidential convoy stopped at the mentioned places to wait for the rest of the convoy which was trailing behind. At Ntaja where the 25 vehicles stopped for about 40 minutes, Winiko, just like any other driver and passenger, alighted from the car that he was driving so that he could have a feel of some fresh air. The children recognized him and they rushed and surrounded him chanting Winiko yemweyo! All his efforts to get out of that throng of children who surrounded him proved futile. He tried to buy sweets for the children to persuade them to leave him alone but the children could hardly budge. It had to take the intervention of a police officer to disperse the children. Then Winiko rushed to the car that he was driving. But when the police officer left for other duties at the place, the children rushed to the car and surrounded it. The celebrity breathed a sigh of relief when finally the fleet started off. But it was not yet over. When the cars stopped again at Nkwalula, just a short distance from Ntaja, another army of children surrounded him but he was at least lucky because the fleet did not take long to leave. But things became worse again at Ngao where the fleet stopped again. At the place, not only children but older people as well, surrounded Winiko. Almost each and everyone who surrounded him, young or old, wanted the celebrity to address him/her. Endless questions were directed at him. He gave his admires some money but they did not leave him until the fleet left the place. At one point, Winiko shook his head as though regretting being famous.