Political and social events in the distant past compelled me to write something. Something fictitious. Precision might be far-fetched regarding when I actually penned the first sentence. But it was some time in August last year. From that frail, uninspiring sentence, a novel manuscript that was to be named Evil Assignment was born. It was conceived in the scraps of history; for what had been my core inspiration got carelessly tucked away in politics.
But, what mattered was the birth of Evil Assignment. Even though its source is one of pain and misery, it’s still an inspiration. After all, the muse speaks best out of agony.
And, when I received a phone call from the Malawi Writers Union on 23 September this year that informed me that my manuscript had reached the finals in the prestigious Peer Gynt Literary Awards which was being bankrolled by The Royal Norwegian Embassy, I was rather shocked. Not because I didn’t have confidence in what I had written. But, because I had forgotten everything about the competition. And the prize presentation ceremony was to be held three days later.
Now, the three waiting days were like eternity. You receive a phone call that informs you that your manuscript is one of the 13 shortlisted ones. Then, you're told that out of the 13, only three will win. You read in the media that out of the 13 finalists, six are veteran writers. And, this happens to be the first ever writing competition you entered. You should be justified to feel unsafe, nervous, shocked. Well, you can as well be proud of yourself for you pretty well know that you've already beaten 40 other participants. And, that you've reached the finals anyway.
Thursday, September 26. Still nervous, I travelled to the Norwegian Ambassador’s residence where we, the finalists, were supposed to have a caucus with the judges, Professor Jack Mapange, Dr. James Ng’ombe and award winning Zambian author Ellen Banda-Aaku. I was the first to arrive at the ambassador’s residence, followed by Willie T. Zingani and Aubrey Kalitera. Then, other finalists arrived in the company of the judges.
We were treated to some ‘strange’ foods, but that didn’t matter to me. I just ate to make a virtue of necessity, for my mind was on the main event of the day. During the caucus, the judges discussed with us what a good novel should have. That, still, didn’t matter to me.
We left for Latitude 13 Degrees some minutes before six. That was where the main prize presentation ceremony would take place. At the hotel, we were treated to some Country and Western music by a band whose name I can’t remember. Well, the music didn’t matter to me.
Then the main event was nearing. Minister of Tourism, Wildlife and Culture Rachel Mazombwe Zulu delivered her speech after Mawu President Sambalikagwa Mvona and Norwegian Ambassador Asbjorn Eidhammer. I paid modest attention to what these people said.
Then, came the time. The time I had been nervously waiting for. I heaved a deep sigh as the leader of the panel of judges, Dr Ng’ombe strutted upfront to announce the winners of this year’s Peer Gynt Literary Awards. He talked about what they, as judges, had concentrated on in scrutinising the manuscripts. That didn’t seem to matter to me. It just couldn’t.
Then he went ahead to reveal that excerpts from the three winning manuscripts would be read out by the judges. The first one was read out. I don’t know from whose manuscript it was taken. Then. Then, then the second. And, I knew it. Jack Mapanje read it. He read it with so much vigour and passion that you would be forgiven for assuming he was the author. The excerpt was from Evil Assignment.
I had submitted the manuscript on 2 March, two months before the deadline. Being out of touch with most events taking place in this country at that time, I wasn’t aware that the deadline had been extended. Still, the extension didn’t matter. What I submitted on March 2 could be the same manuscript I would submit in May. And, in any case, it would still scoop the second position. It couldn't beat Shadreck Chikoti's Azotus the Kingdom which won the jackpot.
Wednesday, January 08, 2014
Facebook and its strange pages
According to official statistics, as of May 2013, the world’s most popular social site had at least 1.11 billion active monthly users. Among these are all kinds of people you can ever imagine: robbers, religious people, sex workers, the young and the old. And, gullible people who are unsuspectingly falling prey to some nefarious forces. And, Facebook does not have the ability to trace the real characters of every user.
There even are hundreds of thousands of groups on Facebook. While the groups’ agendas seem quite clear when one joins them, traces of apparent advocacy of opposite missions become evident. But, only a few people are sensitive enough to detect the ‘strayed’ missions of the groups.
There are groups that seem religious in nature at the outset. After some time, one is shocked to the core to find the administrators of those groups posting messages that are morally corrupt, politically insensitive and war-spurring.
Then there are other groups that are already morally corrupt in nature, but become ‘interested’ in posting religious or spiritual messages and their morally-corrupt messages interchangeably. And in all this, the ultimate victory apparently falls on evil because, after all, evil doesn’t mind being associated with good because it knows the good in evil will forever be evil.
Ethnic, religious rivalry
Any history of ethnic rivalry in Malawi is almost hidden in the mists of time, safely tucked away from our memories, except in the academia where people learn much about the future by critiquing the past. Now, some Facebook groups’ administrators, who happened to court large numbers of people because of their inviting names, have resorted to creating controversial posts where fierce debates along ethnic lines ensue.
Deliberate attempts are being made to turn Malawians of different ethnicities against each other, and the rivalling debates that follow the ethnically-insensitive posts speak volumes about the ticking time-bomb. The administrators of these groups take advantage of the fact that they have thousands of members who obviously share different ethnic ideologies.
The angry debates on the forums clearly herald fierce antagonism among people who should rather be termed Malawians. Threats of physical confrontations are even issued. And in all this, it is the evil one that smiles all the way to his home.
On the other hand, the same groups create posts that clearly call for antipathy along religious lines. The administrators deliberately create posts which they know will be offensive to some religious sections of our society and leave it to members to castigate each other’s religions and end up compromising their own faith.
What’s most surprising is that most of these groups that are keen on turning sections of society against each other operate parallel to their missions of providing breaking news and vacancies. Well, a little bit of some breather could be welcome, but not one that is intended to turn people against each other.
The ‘type Amen’ factor
It is true that Facebook is, to some people, a forum where they can get rid of their sorrows and depressions, usually, by other people’s posts of encouragement and hope. After all, there are famous preachers who have their Facebook pages and post spiriting sermons there. The messages become timely catharsises for those in search of some form of redemption.
There even are men of God who post prophecies in order to encourage people to stick to God and to inform them that God is watching over them. That should be commendable. But, what I find rather out of place is that some prophecies are reposted several times by different groups of people who claim they experienced exactly the same thing in the same way. Well, miracles are bound to happen in extraordinarily miraculous ways, more especially in this wicked and perverse generation that is in constant search of signs.
Some even reach the extent of urging – or forcing their followers – to type Amen and claim something. Perhaps, the surprises which ‘Amen writers’ are promised will soon come to pass even after the said ‘before midnight’. After all, the Bible tells us that one day can be equal to 1000 years, but, that’s to God. Maybe, to men of God too.
Some posts will even warn you against ignoring typing Amen as if salvation is some easy phenomenon that can be achieved simply by writing something on some forum.
Then there are some pages which advance sexual immorality. Their very names are perfect witnesses of their evil missions. But, sometimes, these pages become inclined to test the faith of their members by posting religious messages and subsequently asking them to type Amen as a response to the message.
Now, I have very big problems with these pages and feel greatly offended to see them appearing now and then on my wall simply because my friends have liked them. They will post ‘very touching’ stories which they just create and ask people to type whatever to claim their blessings. How God is taken for granted!
Creating a religious message which is then sandwiched between two sexually immoral posts is a dangerous mission. God can’t be mocked. He is watching all this.
Conclusion
One thing that is very clear from the Facebook pages that are bent at creating evil controversies is that the devil is at work. He is roaring like a hungry lion, seeking any gullible person to devour. The pages you like and the comments you make allow evil to determine your level of faith and how you can be easily attacked.
Do not be people of ignorance. You will know them by their works and you will judge for yourselves if they are from God or not. Salvation and redemption cannot be sought simply by writing something on Facebook. Do not be misled. Receive God’s salvation and you have ultimate salvation, not some human promise that is not even connected to God.
There even are hundreds of thousands of groups on Facebook. While the groups’ agendas seem quite clear when one joins them, traces of apparent advocacy of opposite missions become evident. But, only a few people are sensitive enough to detect the ‘strayed’ missions of the groups.
There are groups that seem religious in nature at the outset. After some time, one is shocked to the core to find the administrators of those groups posting messages that are morally corrupt, politically insensitive and war-spurring.
Then there are other groups that are already morally corrupt in nature, but become ‘interested’ in posting religious or spiritual messages and their morally-corrupt messages interchangeably. And in all this, the ultimate victory apparently falls on evil because, after all, evil doesn’t mind being associated with good because it knows the good in evil will forever be evil.
Ethnic, religious rivalry
Any history of ethnic rivalry in Malawi is almost hidden in the mists of time, safely tucked away from our memories, except in the academia where people learn much about the future by critiquing the past. Now, some Facebook groups’ administrators, who happened to court large numbers of people because of their inviting names, have resorted to creating controversial posts where fierce debates along ethnic lines ensue.
Deliberate attempts are being made to turn Malawians of different ethnicities against each other, and the rivalling debates that follow the ethnically-insensitive posts speak volumes about the ticking time-bomb. The administrators of these groups take advantage of the fact that they have thousands of members who obviously share different ethnic ideologies.
The angry debates on the forums clearly herald fierce antagonism among people who should rather be termed Malawians. Threats of physical confrontations are even issued. And in all this, it is the evil one that smiles all the way to his home.
On the other hand, the same groups create posts that clearly call for antipathy along religious lines. The administrators deliberately create posts which they know will be offensive to some religious sections of our society and leave it to members to castigate each other’s religions and end up compromising their own faith.
What’s most surprising is that most of these groups that are keen on turning sections of society against each other operate parallel to their missions of providing breaking news and vacancies. Well, a little bit of some breather could be welcome, but not one that is intended to turn people against each other.
The ‘type Amen’ factor
It is true that Facebook is, to some people, a forum where they can get rid of their sorrows and depressions, usually, by other people’s posts of encouragement and hope. After all, there are famous preachers who have their Facebook pages and post spiriting sermons there. The messages become timely catharsises for those in search of some form of redemption.
There even are men of God who post prophecies in order to encourage people to stick to God and to inform them that God is watching over them. That should be commendable. But, what I find rather out of place is that some prophecies are reposted several times by different groups of people who claim they experienced exactly the same thing in the same way. Well, miracles are bound to happen in extraordinarily miraculous ways, more especially in this wicked and perverse generation that is in constant search of signs.
Some even reach the extent of urging – or forcing their followers – to type Amen and claim something. Perhaps, the surprises which ‘Amen writers’ are promised will soon come to pass even after the said ‘before midnight’. After all, the Bible tells us that one day can be equal to 1000 years, but, that’s to God. Maybe, to men of God too.
Some posts will even warn you against ignoring typing Amen as if salvation is some easy phenomenon that can be achieved simply by writing something on some forum.
Then there are some pages which advance sexual immorality. Their very names are perfect witnesses of their evil missions. But, sometimes, these pages become inclined to test the faith of their members by posting religious messages and subsequently asking them to type Amen as a response to the message.
Now, I have very big problems with these pages and feel greatly offended to see them appearing now and then on my wall simply because my friends have liked them. They will post ‘very touching’ stories which they just create and ask people to type whatever to claim their blessings. How God is taken for granted!
Creating a religious message which is then sandwiched between two sexually immoral posts is a dangerous mission. God can’t be mocked. He is watching all this.
Conclusion
One thing that is very clear from the Facebook pages that are bent at creating evil controversies is that the devil is at work. He is roaring like a hungry lion, seeking any gullible person to devour. The pages you like and the comments you make allow evil to determine your level of faith and how you can be easily attacked.
Do not be people of ignorance. You will know them by their works and you will judge for yourselves if they are from God or not. Salvation and redemption cannot be sought simply by writing something on Facebook. Do not be misled. Receive God’s salvation and you have ultimate salvation, not some human promise that is not even connected to God.
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