JB courts Yao controversy over planned rally in Machinga: ‘Mourning of Chief Kawinga still on’

The planned visit of President Joyce Banda to Machinga district for a public political rally over the weekend is meeting resistance from chiefs and ordinary subjects who say the Head of State should have postponed her visit to a later date to allow the people mourn the Senior Chief Kawinga who died last week.

Banda, who is also presidential candidate for the People’s Party in the 2014 tripartite elections i is scheduled to address a rally at Malundani on Saturday in the district.

Chief Kawinga was laid to rest on 1st January and according to custom, the people of Machinga feel drum beating and political party cheering would be “unacceptable” 10 days after they buried the chief.

“The President is aware that we are still mourning the death of Chief Kawinga and she was here herself. Why would she be coming with a public rally here just before the mourning period is over,” questioned one Chief close to the clan.

He said that much as the Kawinga clan may not be able to openly protest, there is a lot of resentment towards the visit considering that Sir Chief Kawinga was “the father of the Yawo chiefs” in the area.

According to the chief who spoke to Nyasa Times, the people of Machinga also feel short- changed on the issue of paramount Chief because they feel Kawinga would have been the right person to the throne.

He said politicians may have misled the President to address the rally before mourning period of a chief ends.

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