Chiume ‘supporters’ chase Nkhatabay chief into hiding
Senior Chief M’bwana of Usisya a tourism attraction town in the northern lake shore district of Nkhatabay is seeking refuge at unknown location for fear of being beaten up by irate supporters of his area’s Parliamentarian Ephraim Mganda Chiume, Nyasa Times understands.
The chief is said to have riffled the feather of Chiume – who is also Foreign Affairs Minister – following scathing attacks which the chief made against the MP during president Joyce Banda’s a rally at Chikwina on Sunday.
In his speech at the rally the senior chief publicly accused Chiume of oppressing some people whom he said were among the founders of the President Joyce Banda’s Peoples Party in the Nkhatabay Bay north constituency.
M’bwana, who comes from Usisya, told the President at the rally that Chiume is blocking business man Watson Katawa Nyasulu and Pisho Nkhwazi former Parliamentarian for the same constituency from contributing towards the development of the area.
“To my surprise your Excellency, our MP is pulling down those who started the party here when he was in the former ruling Democratic Progressive Party and putting himself on top”, said chief M’bwana, “Some of the PP co-founders here who are being oppressed by the MP are Katawa Nyasulu and Pisho Nkhwazi.”
M’bwana also accused his MP for barring chiefs in Usisya from presenting a cow bought by Nyasulu to the President as a ‘thank you’ from the Usisya community.
Chiume is also alleged to have blocked Nyasulu from constructing a house for the senior chief who until today stays in a small dilapidated house.
Chibwana’s attacks on Chiume came a week after he accused the minister of diverting the President’s earlier planned program to visit Usisya to Chikwina.
In his response to the attacks, Chiume told the rally that he believed senior chief M’bwana was assigned by his political opponents to attack him in public.
“Since every person has the right to express his thoughts as the senior chief has done I think he has been influenced by my opponents hence making such hatred remarks against me,” said Chiume.
The senior chief’s remarks are said to have angered some people believed to be the supporters of Chiume who later threatened to deal with the chief for attacking the MP in public.
Impeccable sources told Nyasa Times that for fear of his life the chief did not return home but instead sought refuge away from home.
Nyasa Times failed to reach the chief through his phone as it could not be reached on Monday. But wife to the chief, Elina Bwana confirmed that the chief is not spending his night at her house since Sunday.
“I don’t know if I can say that he is in hiding. But what I can confirm is that he is not here with us,” said Senior Chief Mbwana’s wife.
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