North Malawi chiefs press Mutharika to apologise to Tumbukas for Gonapamuhanya violence
Paramount Chiefs, Senior Chiefs and Traditional Authorities of the Northern Region have pressed President Peter Mutharika to apologise to Nkhamanga Kingdom in Rumphi following the fracas on September 30 when members of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) wreaked havoc at the Gonapamuhanya ceremony.
Mutharika, who is visiting the northern region, had invited the Rumphi chiefs at the Mzuzu State Lodge dangling a K200 000 to each of them.
But the chiefs rejected to meet Mutharika until the President apologizes.
During the Gonapamuhanya ceremony, DPP youth cadets clad in their party attire, threw stones at opposition party leaders that attended the cultural ceremony at Bolero in Rumphi including Malawi Congress Party (MCP) president and leader of opposition in parliament, Lazaros Chakwera.
Paramount Chief Chikulamayembe through his chief advisor and spokesperson chief principal group village head Kawazamawe, demanded an apology from President Mutharika for his party’s undemocratic conduct.
“As Tumbukas, we are very disappointed with what happened. We were expecting to celebrate [our] culture, but we were insulted by the fracas. We discovered that there were some other party [DPP] officials who were influencing the boys to cause problems,” he said.
But State House press secretary Mgeme Kalilani said calls for the Head of State to apologise is misguided ashe had nothing to do with the fracas.
Kalilani said the fracas was “between politicians of different parties who were trying to outshine each other at a cultural festival. Presumably, these politicians were invited by the organisers of the event themselves.”
He wondered how the President comes into this fracas for him to apologise, further stating that the issue is between organisers of the event, politicians and the police.
Cabinet Minister Grace Chiumia already apologised during the event on behald of DPP and government.
But the Tumbuka chiefs want President to either go in person at Chikulamayembe headquarters to say sorry formally or send a delegation as per tradition.
“He [Mutharika] leads all of us, and what happened on that day is something which has disappointed the Tumbuka people in the country, Zambia and other regions,” said Kawazamawe.
Chairperson of the Gonapamuhanya organising committee ceremony, chief principal group village head Chikalamba Gondwe stressed that the ruling DPP cadets were responsible for the violence .
The chiefs wondererd why other cultural events are cerebrated peacefully and only Tumbuka event was battle ground for DPP to fight opposition.
During the cultural event, the Tumbuka people commemorate the first Chikulamayembe named Gonapamuhanya because of his tendency to bask in the sun after eating.
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Chakwera is fit at the position of leaders of opposition thus his bench All parties rule this country will not rule again this country, MCP you kill more northern you chased all teachers from your region do you think we forgot that DPP is dead in North chakwera is very rude how could he call the president a thief who is he not to respect president he shows how bad will be if we give him this position DEPECO 2019 boma!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No need to apologise unless other party leaders are requested the same. This is politics and obviously Rumphi chiefs anali a Joyce pano ndi a Chakwera DPP has nothing to gain from them. The invitation to meet was proper if they have declined…..let them be …. DPP votes do not come fro chiefs in Rumphi…they come from Mzimba Nkhatabay Chitipa. DPP is fine with that let them side with Chakwera or Chihana no problem. Too proud chiefs let them be with their pride. No problem there
Mkazi wa Chakwera amachokera ku Rumphi
Besides disruption of the event there is this thing Mr president,those chiefs in rumphi look at Lazarus as their son in-law. This is politics,humble itself for your own good. Anawa achina jappie asakupusiseni bwana.he was behind this.Only Obama and vuwa will have an easy go in your party in the north. There are criminals surrounding u just like Mugabe.flash them out by December 2017
morgan being used by vuwa the most useless and hated man in the north
The PRINCE OF THIEVES can’t apologise. Ndi wa makani.
Kkkkkkk
Kodi mumakonda kunena kuti MCP inapha anthu bwanji? Inu bwanji muli moyo?”
A Jaja kapena inu simunakulire ku Malawi kuno, DEPECO ndiye kuti chiyani kapena kuti kanyama kanji? Dzichedwani! DEPECO will never and can never compete with TRANSFORMED MCP.
An apology would work well for APM but I do not want him to do so. He needs to continue to create more foes than friends so that it will become easy to send him back to Ndata or America in 2019.
Thats the Tumbuka Chiefs I know. They are not cheep to be bought by money!
‘Ndalama zikamalankhula, chilungamo chimakhala cheteee’ – Billy Kaunda
inuso a jaji takagweren uko ndika chipan kanu kopanda fukuko depeco ndekuti chan ? A Chris Daza sawadziwa ndan?siiii akungonamizidwa ndi bushiri mkumati pita ku Malawi kunaphweka ukayambitse chipan.amalawi akuona ngati ophweka.palibe zimenezo ulendo uno believe with me 2019 palibeso kuvota mwachibwana.mumangoti mcp inakuzuzan si azigogo anu amene amadya ndalama zama card lero muziti eeeee tinazuzika ife komaso amati kwa aliyese ophwanya lamuro alandire chilango..so ngati mmaphwanya malamuro mmati azikunyengerelan.and tell me chipan chosazuza siii apa tukuva ena kuti awapepese atumbuka chinachitika ndichan? Nkhaza za boma la dimokalas.depeco yakoyo olo 200 votes sazayiona ..bushiri olo atagawa khomo ndi khomo ndalama… Read more »