Catholic Relief Services say chiefs refuse to attend meetings without ‘kangachepe’: Per diem

A Catholic organization has bemoaned that chiefs in some districts are refusing to attend development meetings for their respective areas unless they are given allowances.

Catholic Relief Services director Sydney Khando said this after traditional leaders refused to turn up for a meeting in Mchinji aimed at discussing how people can avoid post harvest losses.

The meeting was organized in conjunction with the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar)  but traditional leaders were not on the list of those to receive allowances as they come from the same area. “

“We from the NGOs have instilled these behaviour  to traditional leaders. We offer the chiefs money so that they should attend the meetings large numbers but this done not help. They go there for the money after the meeting they forget everything,” said Khando.

He said some NGOs even give out handouts to villagers in order to lure them attend meetings.

Khando said it was sad that most traditional leaders shunned the meeting which was aimed at telling them how to battle weevils without buying expensive chemicals.

“The meeting was to help them yet they want money this culture of allowances and handouts is really bad,” he said.

He did not however commit himself to say they would return and convince the traditional leaders to attend the important meeting for food security.

However, from the tone of his voice, he has given up on them.