Biography of Sitwe Benson Mkandawire

Biography of Sitwe Benson Mkandawire

Mkandaŵile Sitwe Benson was born in 1982 but documented as being born in 1984. He was born on the road near a small village in Sitwe area of Chama District called Chibisa by the mother alone as she was going to collect firewood in the afternoon. This ironically suggests that his birth or home earth coming was unexpected.

At the age of seven, he knew how to make fishing nets, simple hunting facilities and started helping the family with his siblings in the provision of home basic needs. When he was 14 years old, he belt his own house and storage (Nthamba) for the sister in Chama district, typical of a traditional set up.

When he was at junior secondary school at Chama Basic, he was editor in chief of the writers club and was selected to represent the district and province in quiz and debate. This trend continued even at senior secondary school at Chizongwe Technical High School, he was one of the first 100 best mathematicians in JOCV in Zambia obtaining position number thirty six out of about 3000 students who participated in the exam and was later appointed the first Academic Captain coordinating quiz and Debate every Friday with his great teachers like Thomas Mtonga who is now a Lecturer at the University of Zambia and Geolex George Chileya who is now the Inspector of Schools.

When he went at University, he created one society called University of Zambia Acting and Film Production Society and was one of the fathers of the University of Zambia School of education Association (UNZASEDA). His studies in Linguistics and African languages along side with English Literature, Human Resource Development, the origins of Education in Zambia, the role of education in Development, Sociology, psychology and Curriculum studies made him become a presenter at the University of Zambia Radio station in a programme called ‘Linguistic Forum’. He saved as secretary general of the University of Zambia Linguistics Association for two years and two terms of office. He also saved as whole representative for two terms of office in the students politics of the University of Zambia Student Union.

By the time he reached 23 years old, he became a Lecturer at Institute of Social Sciences lecturing and tutoring Human Resource Management and Development, Communication Skills and Research Proposal Writing. By age 25, he made and directed six short films relating to the lives of students affairs, wrote twelve, scripts, eighteen articles, and published two books in Senga and Tumbuka. He has been writing a lot from his childhood but lacked publication.

Sitwe Benson Mkandaŵile is a writer, Poet, educator, Actor and an administrator. He has written a number of articles, poems and plays for performances and acted in a number of plays whilst at the University of Zambia.  He recited a number of his poems at different medias. He performed Plays at Muvi Television station with heroes like Augustine Lungu and also at Zambia’s National Broadcasting Cooperation television stations several times.  He won an award as best Director and play writer by Artistes Against Xenophobia (AAX) in 2008 at Lusaka’s Play House on his most known and overwhelming play called “Xenophobia Killed A Foreigner”.

After his exemplary performance at undergraduate level, the University of Zambia awarded him a scholarship to do his masters degree in Literacy and Learning where he has continued his creative writing. He was also appointed at the same time to be trainee lecturer at the biggest University in the country. In the same year, he was appointed a regional coordinator of translators of the Google search Engine from English language to Senga-Tumbuka of Tanzania, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Zambia.  He was also appointed to be a Director of Arts Academy in 2008 and saved as secretary in the Board of Directors of Arts Academy comprise Sr Rose Nyengo as chairperson from the University of Zambia, Paul Sachika as vice chair from Society for Family health, Anthony Tambatamba from  from YMCA as treasurer, Ngosa David as vice secretary and other members like Hector Banda chairperson of Zambia Pen and Sylva Catering College, Caristo Chitamfya then ZNBC TV controller, Days Mhone Director Youths International and Sara Zulu one of the famous Actresses in Zambia.   

It was at master’s level where he fully developed his critical skills after meeting great men in the History of Zambia as his Lecturers. Great men like Wanga Weluzani Chakanika who is a radical scholar and then saved as Dean School of Education at the University of Zambia who described Sitwe Benson at the end of his course as “Radical scholar, young Paulo Freire and quick at grasping meat from trash”. Senator Geoffrey Tambulukani is other great experienced scholar who greately contributed in modeling the life of Sitwe Benson. The teachings of his model lecturers like Dr. Denis Banda, Dr. John phiri, Dr. John Luangala, Dr. P. C. Manchishi, Dr Panwell Munatamba the real African Poet and Professor Vincent Chanda really shaped his life in the later years.

 He has published a lot of literature amongst which include; A book on figures of speech in Senga-Tumbuka in 2008, A book of proverbs in Senga-Tumbuka in 2009, A Poetry book in English/Senga/Tumbuka,  An Article on Understanding literacy from the Zambian perspective presented at the Ten Years PRP quolloquium, An article on what is literacy and many other articles found at http://sitwe.wordpress.com/, http://bensonmkandawiresitwe2009.blogspot.com/ and http://bmsitwe.blog.com

 More written articles, poems and writings are still being re-organized for publication.