JB installs Karonga’s Paramount Chief Kyungu in colourful event
President Joyce Banda on Saturday travelled to the northern region district to install Nsangalufu Clement Mwakabanga III as Paramount Chief Kyungu 24 of Karonga with a call to him to be a servant of his subjects and subordinate traditional leaders and not boss over them.
Banda presided over the installation ceremony at Kasoba in the district with thousands of people from all walks of life, including the First Gentleman Chief Justice Richard Banda, RTD, Speaker of Parliament Chimunthu Banda, and cabinet ministers, Catholic Bishop Dr. Martin Mtumkuka of Karonga Diocese, Livingstonia Synod General Secretary Baloyi and MP for the area Beatrice Mwangonde, among others.
“First of all, I would like to thank God the Almighty for making this occasion a reality; I never expected that having what I had undergone during the previous reign and what the new Paramount Chief went through, today I would be hear performing this historic function,” the President said, amid deafening ululation, applause and handclapping.
The former Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) regime under the late President Bingu wa Mutharika refused to recognize Clement Mwakabanga III as heir to the throne after the death of the late Kyungu, which observers said were due to political reasons.
President Banda said the event was historic because what the members of the family wanted had still come to pass despite that others wanted it to fail. She said leadership is given by God and that however man would want to circumvent it, the Lord’s will always prevails.
“I am very happy to come and install Chief Kyungu as Paramount Chief Kyungu whom I elevated to that position on 20th April, 2012,” said the Head of State, adding that her presence was out of the realization that traditional leaders are effective drivers of development at grassroots level besides being custodians of culture and traditions.
President Banda said her government had taken deliberate steps to encourage rural communities to engage in small to large scale commercial farming with a view of increasing incomes at household level as well as creating employment.
She said her government is implementing measures that would see Malawi evolve from “aid to trade” hence urged rural communities to seriously get involved in commercial farming so that they can export their produce to earn the country the much-needed foreign exchange.
“I appeal to you Paramount Chief Kyungu and all other Chiefs to encourage your subjects to work hard in their farming activities so that we have enough food every year,” said the President.
Stop-over at Chilumba Hospital
On her way to Kasoba, President Banda made a stop-over at Chilumba Rural Hospital to assess maintenance progress since she last donated K2 million to that institution a couple of months ago.
“I am impressed with the progress you have made. I found this hospital in a pathetic state but you have achieved so much with so little,” the President said, adding that because of what she had seen, she was committing herself to building a holding shelter for pregnant women at the hospital.
She said the welfare of pregnant women was closest to her heart because she does not want to see mothers dying when giving life as that was never God’s plan.
On April 256, 2012, President Banda announced the launch of the Presidential Initiative on Maternal Health and Safe Motherhood, which among others is aimed at increasing awareness about maternal and newborn health demonstrated by increased participation of local leaders and communities in maternal health interventions.
