Minister Chiumia condemned for threatening chiefs to support Mutharika
Opposition Malawi Congress Party (MCP) and the civil society organisations (CSOs) have condemned Minister of Civic Education, Culture and Community Development Grace Chiumia for threatening chiefs to support President Peter Mutharika or risk not being elevated.
The controversial Chiumia is reportedly to have made the threats at a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) rally at Katoto in Mzuzu also attended by DPP secretary general Greselder Jeffrey and national campaign director Jappie Mhango on Saturday.
Chiumia warned the chiefs against siding with the opposition, saying that will not help them because it is Mutharika who has powers to elevate them, not the opposition and they should “support him wholeheartedly.”
MCP president, Lazarus Chakwera accused the Peter Mutharika administration of dragging chiefs into politics which, he said, is dividing the nation.
He emphasised the need to revise laws governing chiefs and Local Government, arguing that would ensure that chiefs operate in a free and independent environment.
“Do not use chiefs wrongly so that they operate against the wishes of their subjects. We want to see chiefs liberated. Gone are the days when a traditional leader would be penalised for talking to a leader in the opposition,” Chakwera said.
And deputy secretary general for MCP, Eisenhower Mkaka, said it was unfortunate that Chiumia, who is also DPP deputy chief whip in Parliament, was failing to separate government from cultural affairs.
He said as quoted by the press : “Chiefs should not be beaten into submission, they are traditional leaders and if they think that they can threaten chiefs into submission just to get support, then they are getting it wrong.
“The best lesson they could get is what we saw during the October 17 by-election when they used chiefs to threaten people but their subjects protested and voted otherwise. So they should know that in this time and era, people have learnt and that chiefs cannot tell them what to do.”.
Mzuzu-based Youth and Society (YAS) executive director Charles Kajoloweka and Timothy Mtambo of Centre for Human Rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) have also condmened Chiumia for her threats , described as unfortunate, undemocratic and retrogressive.
Kajoloweka said chiefs should not be pushed to “lose their integrity because they are looking for promotions.”
He said garrulous Chiumia should tame her foul tongue as Mtambo said the remarks show that the minister is devoid of values and principles.
Recently , Chiumia also stirred controversy when she said government was against the proposed 50-plus-one system of electing the country’s President.
She is used as DPP’s attack dog.
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Olo atavula, ndikugona chagada yanga siingadzuke mtheradi.
A Nyirenda, are you telling me that you own mpoto? It is this kind of silly thinking that made Kamuzu to call the region Dead North. Every govt on the scene is bad to you northerners. There was Kamuzu. Then came Muluzi, you insulted him from all angles despite lifting some structures in the region. You reached the extent of dressing a pig with a UDF T-shirt just to show you don’t like the man. Came Bingu you hated him to the extent of celebrating his death.Here is Peter the same silly thinking is in your heads. Do you expect… Read more »
What this lady needs is some civic education.
I think Mrs chiumia tawene mpoto mukutimanya yayi imwe apa mukwena kuti ndimwe mchewa.Do you think tingachita mantha na chitukuko cha DPP?Do you think tawene mpoto ndise akavu?Don you think Mpoto is stupit?Do you think mupapi wako(mafumu) ndivindele ?Whatever you call yourself mpoto will remain united mose timudinyaninge na VOTE 2019 muphalirane DPP yina Pitala mose TIMUDINYANINGE NA VOTE namala mwana wa amama yewo.
Grace slow down, you are trying to hard, you look and sound ridiculous!
kodi sasamba uyu atinjiso apa. whore
What do you expect from a person who seduced his driver and married him?
Ogile chonde mukapeza mpata kaonaneni ndi adokotala. Pawoneka kuti ziphuphu zili kukupweteketsani mutu. Simuli kuganiza bwino polankhula
I really pity Grace Chiumia. In my view, she is, in fact, the victim of DPP political shenanigansism. Typical of DPP selfishness, greed and heartlessness, DPP core-inner circle thugs, comprising largely of mulhakho cohorts plan all this behind the scenes. Grace like other DPP peripherals (the likes of Jappie, wa Geffrey) are like chess pons (sacrificed to win the game); floor mops (get dirty to clean up the floor); disposable toilet tissue (wipe clean one’s bottom then throw/ flash it away after using the toilet), of course to avoid bad smell in public! But it’s a tradeoff Grace and colleagues… Read more »
stupid minster.she is from my area kma akundichitisa manyazi galu ameneyi