Norman Chisale, reflecting on his past, recalled that even in his early days as a private soldier, he stood out for possessing both a car and, intriguingly, a mobile phone.
With pride, he claimed to be the very first soldier in Malawi to own a mobile device, a time when most of his peers relied solely on office phones for communication.
“People tend to overlook my background. I was the pioneering soldier in Malawi with a cellphone when everyone else in the MDF used office phones. People used to approach me to make calls,” Chisale emphatically stated.
His extensive career as a professional bodyguard brought him in close proximity to three former presidents: Bakili Muluzi, Bingu wa Mutharika, and his brother Peter.
In response to allegations that his wealth stemmed solely from his association with Peter Mutharika, Chisale firmly asserted that such claims were baseless, suggesting that those making them might have their own issues.
In 2021, Chisale faced increased legal scrutiny as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), in collaboration with various agencies including the Assets Forfeiture Unit, the Financial Intelligence Authority (FIA), the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), and the Malawi Police Service (MPS) Fiscal and Fraud Department, successfully obtained an application before High Court Judge Mike Tembo. This led to the seizure of Chisale’s properties valued at K5 billion, along with the freezing of two of his bank accounts.
However, Chisale remained resolute, insisting that his wealth had deep-rooted origins, pointing to assets like Zimatha Lodge, which he constructed in 2016, and his real estate holdings in Sanjika.
Frustration marked his demeanor at the public’s unwavering focus on his association with the former president, as he stressed that there were more pertinent questions to ask about his financial success.