M’mbelwa summons chief over Lilongwe presser as traditional leaders protest meagre allowances

M’mbelwa Chiefs Council has summoned Inkosana Mtenje Ntchawaka Jere to its Sanhedrin over his conduct and motivation behind his support for concerned citizens who are calling for fresh tripartite.

The Council also wants Inkosana Jere to name the person who delegated him to represent the Ngoni chiefs of Mzimba at the media briefing he held alongside other village heads (VHs) and group village heads (GVHs) in Lilongwe on Sunday afternoon.

During the presser, the Inkosana and other VHs and GVHs from Kasungu, Mangochi, Mzimba and Lilongwe denounced the Constitutional Court (ConCourt) judgment in the high profile presidential election case.

According to the concerned chiefs, the ConCourt ruling had errors, which need to be corrected before the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) can conduct fresh polls.

The chiefs claimed that their subjects were not happy with the way the five judges that formed the ConCourt administered justice in the high level cases.

“We are not happy that the court did not find it necessary to extend the ruling to the Parliamentary and Local Government Elections because they, too, were elected on the same day and using the same resources. We feel like it’s unfair to only punish the president while leaving MPs and councillors who won their seats on through the same election,” Inkosana Jere said.

But in a memo dated 27th April, 2020, which Nyasa Times has seen, the Mmbelwa Chiefs Council has clarified that Inkosana Jere did not have any authority to represent chiefs let alone the people of Mzimba at the press briefing.

“We arefer to a news article aired on Sunday, 26th April 2020 during which it was reported that traditional leaders, led by Inkosana Mtenje Jere of Mzimba, made their stand on the Constitutional Court ruling on the presidential elections case. We wish to clarify a few things in relation to the article: Firstly, we wish to put on records that His Majesty Inkosi Ya Makhosi Mmbelwa V as Chairperson of the Council did not assign any other member of the Chiefs Council to delegate anyone to represent us at the said meeting,” says the clarification, which Inkosi Mpherembe has signed.

Mpherembe, who is the Secretary for the Mmbelwa Chiefs Council, adds that if the Ngoni chiefs were to attend the said meeting, they would not delegate a mere village head.

The Ngoni chiefs of Mzimba therefore find the Inkosana Jere took as misleading.

“Secondly, as the Chiefs Council, we are apolitical (non-partisan). Further, it is not in our norms to comment on issues that are in courts. Thirdly, as Mmbelwa Chiefs Council, we wish to indicate that we shall be summoning the village headman who featured at the said meeting for him to explain how he found himself taking part in the said event. Our intention will be to have him heard and notify us who gave the mandate that led him to taking part in the event,” concludes Mpherembe in the letter.

Inkosana Mtenje Ntchawaka Jere, in a telephone interview on Monday afternoon, confirmed that he has received the summon and that he is prepared to explain himself before the elders.

“I will go to explain my side. I didn’t think I needed to take leave of the elder chiefs to attend the meeting. But all things being equal, I will present myself before them,” said Jere.

Meanwhile, the traditional leaders have complained over the meagre amounts of money the Concerned Citizens gave them to disparage the ConCourt ruling.

“They have given each one of us a meagre K50, 000. What can K50, 000 to me? These people are not considerate. At least K500, 000 would have done us a service considering that we are creating enmity with our traditional authorities and subjects by commenting on such a sensitive issue,” said one of the chiefs from Mangochi.

But another VH from Mzimba feels he has nothing to lose.

“Izi ni ndalama zakuwa na chiswe. Lekani tirye nawo [This is free-for-all money. Let us partake in it!],” he said.