Disagreement erupts over chief installation in Mangochi
Controversy has exploded in Mangochi district following the impending installation this Saturday of Group Village Headman (GVH) Chiwalo in Traditional Authority Nankumba’s area.
Two warring parties have emerged with one being led by son to the former GVH who has vehemently vowed to stop the installation of the new chief.
A source close to the family told Nyasa Times on Friday, that George Nswala, a Headmaster at Mponda’s Community Day Secondary School in the district is leading a team of six people protesting the proposed person, Stanly Naoza, to be given the throne.
Nswala, who for over two years also controversially stopped the chieftainship of T/A Nankumba until the courts ruled in favor of the current holder, this week went to the District Commissioner (DC) for Mangochi to stop his office from installing Naoza.
The protester claim the clan of GVH Chiwalo is against the move to install Naoza suggesting that a Mr. Mbella is the rightful person.
Both Naoza and Mbella are sons to the sister of the departed GVH Chiwalo, who by Malawi standards is ranked as one of the most powerful and strict disciplinarian chiefs in and around Mangochi district.
However, what surprises people is that Nswala, despite being the son to the former chief, has no say in the chieftainship because, according to the culture of the Chewas from Mangochi it is a nephew who takes over the thrown.
“Just because he lost the candidacy of TA Nankumba, he wants to bring confusion in this matter because he is still bitter with the current TA,” the source said.
TA Nankumba is expected to preside over the installation ceremony this Saturday at a function which is also expected to be graced by Ministers of Local Government and Rural Development Economic Planning and Development Grace Maseko and Ralph Jooma (who also comes from GVH Jooma) respectively.
The installation ceremony was scheduled to take place last week but it was postponed because the President’s event where she was also installing Senior Chief Mponda in the same district.
