Page 58 - 2020 SoMJ Vol 73 No 2_Neat

Notes on the Death of Anna Marie Hlawaczek 49

The 1976 1: 50,000 map Mulanje South (1635B) still shows “old Fort Anderson
remains” near where the Muloza River joins the Ruo River. Mwinga is denoted as
a small spot just outside Ruo Tea Estate, south west of Ruo Tea Factory.
Chipoka
The Collector J S Wells who replaced Gilbert Stevenson started
construction of the new Fort Anderson/Boma. The work was completed by his
successor G C L Ray. In the May 1897 Gazette, it was announced that a new Fort
Anderson had been built ‘adjoining A C Simpson’s estate’. This developed into
what is now known as Mulanje Boma. It is this fort that the late Colonel James
Njoloma refers to as Chipoka.
According to the ‘Handbook to British Central Africa – Information for
Intending Settlers’ published in 1905, Fort Anderson is: ‘another Customs Station,
being situated near to the Portuguese frontier, on the other side of the Ruo. Fort
Anderson is placed in a most picturesque position on the south-western slopes of
Mlanje Mountains which rises above it in precipitous walls of rock. The scenery
here is as grand and beautiful as almost anything in Africa. The climate is healthy.
A great many planters’ settlements exist around the western flanks of Mlanje’.
While ‘another Customs Station’ seems to refer to the Mwinga Fort, the
overall description, given the date of 1905, seems to refer to the larger community
in the area that became Mulanje Town rather than to the Mwinga fort which is
some distance from the massif and is on the south-eastern boundary of the district
rather than on the ‘south-western slopes’.
st
A Notice (Number 170) dated 31 December 1909 in the Government
Gazette for that year put an end to the confusion by notifying the public that “the
Principal Government Station in the Mlanje District will for the future be known
as ‘Mlanje’ instead of Fort Anderson as heretobefore’.
Fort Anderson in its different lives and guises was no more.
Circumstances of Anna Marie’s death
It is clear that having arrived in Mulanje district, Anna Marie proceeded
across the border to Portuguese East Africa. According to Edward Laidlaw
Thomson, she did this ‘to act as interpreter when Bell went over to demand the
release of Watson and Croad who had been arrested by a Portuguese force’. Her
facility with languages would have made her a natural candidate to act as an
interpreter in a diplomatic incident with the Portuguese. However, the 1953
editorial in Nyasaland Society Journal stated that Anna Marie ‘fled across the
border to seek safety with the Portuguese Authorities’ after she had received
‘improper suggestions’ from the Collector at Fort Anderson. Whatever the reason
for her trip across the border, the incident involving Watson and Croad was
resolved, with Edward Laidlaw Thomson giving the credit for this to
Commissioner Johnston who also went across the border and demanded the
release of the two officers. The Portuguese officials had to complied.