Kyungu renews calls for Malawi govt to establish chiefs council
Paramount Chief Kyungu of Karonga has asked government to institute a National Chiefs Council to resolve chieftaincy wrangles rather than seeking court intervention, saying it undermines the tradition’s dignity.
The Paramount Chief made the proposal on Wednesday during the installation of Bangubosa Sanderson Mwahimba as Senior Chief Kalonga after the death of his predecessor in 2018.
He said it is demeaning to see chieftaincy affairs being resolved at the High Court instead of empowering the chiefs to be responsible for ironing out the grievances themselves.
“We have our own way of resolving conflicts,” he said.
Kyungu thanked the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development for installing Senior Chief Kalonga, saying development initiatives were suffering.
The ministry’s director of local government services Sphiwe Mauwa said the issue of National Chiefs Council has been there and it is up to the chiefs to organise themselves and introduce the idea.
Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, who was the guest of honour, Esther Majaza, advised the newly installed chief to refrain from corruption and to encourage his people to work hard in spurring development. She thanked the royal family for maintaining peace during succession.
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Before the Council is formed Malawians should be asked in referendum whether they need chiefs and if they do what should be their roles. The challenge is that the Council too will be heavily politicised as powers of individual chiefs will be concentrated in the Council which will be headed by political chief. Chiefs with opposing political views will be castigated. This Council will in the end act the National Chief for Malawi. Most of us would not want that. There is for sure a big invisible political hand behind Kyungu’s call. See where he leans politically. All that chiefs… Read more »