Malawi Pres. JB orders arrest of chief Chimombo

President Joyce Banda has ordered the arrest of a person suspected to have stolen a maize mill intended for people with disabilities in the area of Traditional Authority Chimombo in Nsanje.

The directive comes barely two weeks after traditional leaders and Area Development Committee (ADC) members in the area penned Nsanje Police Officer-In-Charge (OC) demanding justice on the missing maize mill which the Malawi Council for the Handicapped (MACOHA) donated to the area in 2008.

The mill whose proceeds were meant to assist people with disabilities was in custody of Stanford Mtukula who was recently suspended from his position as Traditional Authority Chimombo.

“I am directing the Vice President to take up the issue and make sure that the culprit is taken to book. The law should take its course,” she directed.

Pres. Banda in Nsanje with chiefs: Orders arrest on Chimombo
Pres. Banda in Nsanje with chiefs: Orders arrest on Chimombo

The President’s instructions came as a response to an appeal by acting T/A Chimombo, Harrison Chimombo who asked the Head of State to help in recovering the stolen mill.

The acting chief Tuesday during the launch of Mudzi Transformation Trust at Landinyo Village told the President their efforts to recover the mill had proved futile.

“This issue is sensitive but also very important since the mill was meant to assist those people having disabilities in our community. We have tried with all the authorities including the police but nothing has been done,” said the concerned looking Chimombo.

In the petition to Nsanje Police, concerned local leaders alleged that the suspended T/A Chimombo exchanged the diesel maize mill with an electric one which he has been using as a personal property.

“MACOHA provided us with the maize mill so the profits could go towards assisting people with disabilities including paying school fees. The suspended T/A Chimombo at his will exchanged it for an electric maize mill with a Mozambican national.

“To our surprise, Nsanje police are doing nothing about it besides the fact that we have been lodging complaints to the authorities on the matter,” reads part of the petition.

The letter, addressed to Nsanje Police Officer-In-Charge and copied to District Commissioner, MACOHA, Acting Chief Chimombo, suspended Chief Chimombo, Nsanje Magistrate Court and District Information Office was duly signed by 23 local leaders including Senior Group Village Headmen Chimombo, Mangani, Fransiku, and GVH Kamphata in which the police were given 48 hours to act on the matter.

“We want you to act on the maize mill concern we have been lodging to your office within 48 hours upon receipt of this letter. We have waited for so long without your action. Please do something or else we will seek help from elsewhere,” the two paged letter warned.

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