Minister lashes out at villagers for sealing Salima DCs offices

Local Government minister Kondwani Nankhumwa has lashed out at irate villagers in Salima who on Tuesday sealed off offices of the district commissioner to force him dethrone a chief.

Nankhumwa said the villagers action was regrettable and could not be condoned.

“Their issue has nothing to do with the DC. Actually we are looking at their issue and we have done 95 per cent and we are remaining with just five percent. They should be patient,” said Nankhumwa.

He said the district commissioner Rodney Simwaka was working round the clock to bring peace between the senior chief Bibi Kuluwunda and her subjects.

It is now 11 days since people from her area started a vigil at the district commissioner’s office in a bid to force her out of office.

Last week they marched on the streets in Salima, carrying an empty coffin on Wednesday in a bid to forcibly remove chief Kuluwunda from office.

This was a day after two senior cabinet ministers; Lands minister Atupele Muluzi and Justice minister Samuel Tembenu efforts to mediate on the issue failed.

Muluzi and Tembenu returned at Capital Hill in Lilongwe without securing any dea to bring the chief and her aggressors.

“Actually we wonder why they came here, they had nothing to offer except to say they will report the issue to the president,” said the group’s spokesman Mohammed.

The group is accusing the chief of massive corruption, autocracy and violation of human rights, claims flatly denied by the chief who said they want to dethrone her out of pure personal hatred and jealousy.

“I have always said they should bring the evidence that I am corrupt. They should name the person who corrupted me, they should report me to the Anti Corruption Bureau but up to now, they have not done that,” she said.

She said her crime was that she gave to government land for the Green Belt Initiative and this did not go down well with some of her subjects and said she is not intimidated and will not leave her office whatever pressure the concerned villagers may put on her and government.

District Commissioner Rodney Simwaka said a chief cannot be dethroned through such means, saying the government was doing all it can to resolve the matter amicably.