One Ken Zikhale Ng’oma is an epitome of, “never write off a determined person in life”.
Once the most powerful, right-hand man and bodyguard of Malawi President Bingu wa Mutharika, Zikhale was probably the ruling DPP’s most feared man than Bingu himself in his first term.
But in a Chakwera-Mkaka fashion, and to the surprise of all and sundry, Bingu fired him right when we all thought he could never be without him.
It was when we all thought things were rosy for them together that they divorced.
Immediately, he did wonder and wander, of course. I mean, we all did. He did suffer embarrassment. And ridicule.
You see, this tendency of celebrating people’s downfall hasn’t started today; there were merry throngs all over then.
Quickly though, he went back to the drawing board, dusted himself off, re-strategized and invested his loyalty in a winning team. His vision was now much clearer. He found himself a place in Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and went ahead to win a seat in the Malawi Parliament.
As I watched him discharge probably his first public ministerial assignment this morning, I could not help but marvel at the beauty of resilience and determination.
He is what I always argue: that, no matter what happens, we can choose to start again at any point in life and still win. Do not ever write off anyone. They’ll shock you.
I pray he performs!
*Views in this story are those of the author and do not necessarily of Malawi24.
