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.
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This is a tribal issue. Every clan has its own customs and traditions which it follows. My take is that all of us who are not Ngonis should refrain from passing judgement here by pointing out who was wrong between Mbelwa and his junior. Let’s leave this to them (Ngonis) who understand how their administration works.
M’mbelwa is a northerner who become apolitical when his agenda is not in tandem with those in power. He, just like many northers are against the current government as such any chief who appears to be in favor of the government is seen as a black sheep. He see himself as a last authority in the North, but we don’t care thus why his district is still lagging behind in terms of development, his subjects are flocking here en masse simply bcoz we have so many social amenities. The chiefs has every right to associate with any grouping of there… Read more »
Yes, so many social amenities built by northerners who were working with the whites. They flock to the south looking for what they planted, not on the land of Che Sipoko. So, you mean Kamuzu stadium was built by sipokolo and you are proud that it is in the south.
Jere is entitled to free expression, but the problem is that he did not follow the protocol. Would any Cabinet Minister say anything about the Government without the President’s knowledge or approval?
Sananene kuit Ngongoliwa kapena Chapananga ati Mbelwa ndy inu anyapapi musatinyatsepo apa ngt simuziwa kuti Mbelwa payokha ndi boma kumalawi khala chete mapeto ake utilakwitsa
We respect M’mbelwa more than any president in Malawi or elsewhere
Kodi Who is mbelwa? Is he the only one who has a mouth uko kukaya?
Yes, he is the only one who has the mouth to discipline misguided elements
The junior chief is right. ConCourt ruling is severely flawed. It does not make sense that the presidential elections are annulled because of tippex and yet leave parliamentary results which used tippex as well.
Many of you are criticising M’Mbelwa for summoning the chief, if AMP knows that I am one of his ministers that insults him on this podium against his mediocracy do you think I will still keep my job? Do you think telling him that I am entitled to my option will matter? APM is a fool of fools. He is an illegal president.
Typical of empty heads. Bola ukanangokhala chete.
Dyera timafumu tina.
Bazirya ndalama zinu pera. Advice to chiefs, once they call you for a presser, secretly meet your senior ones and bark the way you can. Once the money is in your pockets, go back to your roots
watilengeska uyu ka wakufuma mwa T/A njani?wahlaule uyu
He is From TA Mabulabo. He is Sub T/A… Mpherembe is smoking weed to call him a Village Hedman.
Ameneyu watilengeska chomene
Jere has the right of speech and association and Mbelwa should not threaten him
This is MZIMBA(mombera) Kingdom…not phalombe
A dictatorship of the worst nature. The same people campaigning for democracy are the first ones to deny other people the freedom of speech. The chief has the right to question ConCourt judgement. There is logic in questioning why the judges did not annul parliamnetary and local poll results and strayed to giving an opinion on 50+1.
the freedom of speech does not in this case say u should talk on behalf of someone or some groups. thats why we have POs.
no logic there. it was the complainants who sued mec against the presidential seat only and not parliamentarly nor councillors.
Mzimba is a Mornachy and demon-class (democracy) has no room in it.