Ezra Chadza

Ezra Jofiya Chadza (1923-1985) or E.J. Chadza, as he signed his books, was a well-known Malawian teacher, author and poet, writing especially in the Chichewa language of Malawi.

Ezra Chadza was born in the village of Ntande in Dedza District in Malawi in 1923. He attended school in the same village, and then in 1937 went on to the Mlanda mission school (situated at Lizulu between Dedza and Ntcheu). In 1939 he began to teach. He studied for a teaching certificate at Nkhoma from 1943–45, obtaining the 'Grade 2' or the 'English grade' as it was known at that time. Afterwards he taught at Mlanda before becoming headmaster of Livukezi School in Ntcheu in 1948. From 1949 to 1954 he taught in Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). He studied teaching again at Domasi Teacher Training College until 1959. After that he taught at the Kongwe Presbyterian mission school in Dowa District. It was here that he wrote Ntchito za Pakamwa and Zokoma ziri m'Tsogolo. In 1968 he continued his studies at the University of Cape Town. In 1970 with others he started a school to teach Chichewa to missionaries in Kongwe. He also ran the Nkhoma Synod school and in 1972 became secretary of the Chichewa Board, a board set up by President Hastings Kamuzu Banda to encourage and develop the Chichewa language. Ezra Jofiya Chadza died in 1985.

In the introduction to their 1980 coursebook for Peace Corps volunteers Learning Chichewa, Carol Scotton and Gregory Orr write: "For discussions on grammatical points, we especially want to thank Mr E.J. Chadza, Secretary of the Chicheŵa Board of Malaŵi, a gentleman, a scholar, and a source of inspiration".

In the preface to his best-known book, Kokha Mcheperawakalulu, E.J. Chadza explains that he originally submitted the book, together with four others, to the Publications and Literature Bureau for approval in 1966. Unfortunately the manuscript of all the books was lost when the Bureau was closed. He therefore had to write the book again. The only book which survived was Tiphunzire Chichewa, which he happened to have with him for revision. In the same introduction, Chadza complains about the fact that very few books have been written in Chichewa, and expresses his belief that Malawians should write books in their own language just as other nations do.

E.J. Chadza's best known poem is Likongolerenji Bokosi? 'What a Beauty the Coffin Is', which was chosen for comment in the 2011 International Baccalaureate Chichewa exam (see link below).